Christchurch father and daughter team up to take down graffiti

Removing graffiti from their neighbourhood has become a family affair for a Christchurch father and daughter.

Ben and Nevaeh McCallum volunteered for the Off the Wall Graffiti Programme, run by Christchurch City Council, in 2017 after seeing a brochure about it at their local library.

Nevaeh was only seven at the time, but her dad Ben wanted her to have a strong work ethic and felt getting rid of graffiti was a worthwhile task to tackle together.

"At the time there was lot of graffiti along the front of our shops so we decided to get active with that," Ben said.

As part of the Off the Wall Graffiti programme, they help paint out graffiti in their neighbourhood.

They're also 'tag spotters', who report graffiti to the council when they see it.

It has been a fun experience for Nevaeh, which has come with an added bonus that many other kids will relate to.

"It gets me away from my brother," she said.

Ben and Nevaeh McCallum. Photo: Newsline
Ben and Nevaeh McCallum. Photo: Newsline
Ben doesn’t know many other people in his age group who do volunteer work and worries volunteering is a dying art.

He said more people should give volunteering a go.

"Definitely give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. But you won’t know until you give it a go."

It is National Volunteer Week from June 20 to 26. Make a difference in your community by volunteering here.