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The man trying to improve Slough's reputation

Neranjana Elapatha
BBC News, Berkshire
Viva Slough Vineet Vijh is looking at the camera and smiling. He has short, dark hair and us wearing a beige top. Behind him is a mustard-coloured wall.Viva Slough
Vineet Vijh previously set up a volunteering project to help people during the Covid-19 pandemic

A man has created a community enterprise to tackle the "stereotypical prophesy" of Slough - a place recently voted the most miserable to live in the UK.

Vineet Vijh moved to Berkshire from London six years ago and said he was surprised by the reactions when he disclosed he was living in the town made famous by Ricky Gervais' show The Office.

He set up Viva Slough to provide employment workshops, English classes and art projects.

"There were buildings that looked run down... so the first initiative was painting the town red, and we have done murals in different parts of Slough," he said.

Ricky Gervais as David Brent in The Office, based in a paper merchants in Slough. He is wearing a suit and ties and slouching on a chair at a desk.
Slough provided the backdrop for comedy show The Office

Mr Vijh previously set up a group of volunteers to help deliver food and medicines to vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He is now focussed on overturning the town's reputation which he described as "a stereotypical prophesy that keeps coming back, again and again".

Viva Slough's various projects have been funded by several sponsors, including Arts Council England and Great Western Railway.

Mr Vijh said his group was one of 19 organisations working with Together as One, which was recently awarded Arts Council funding for its Slough Cultural Revival programme "to promote art and culture" in the town.

A mural of a girl in multiple colours. Next to her are the words "Connecting Slough".
The second mural Viva Slough painted from local artist Johana Plazas was at Slough station

Rob Deeks, CEO of Together as One, said the money would allow young people and residents to have something to do, such as South Asian dancing, art and events.

He hopes the project will lead to "young people in our borough feeling like they are growing up in a place that they can be proud off".

A rainbow coloured mural on at 70s-style building, with black and white pictures of different people on it saying, "Welcome", in different languages.
One of Viva Slough's project was to create a multicoloured mural to represent the multicultural makeup of Slough

A separate and recent project led by Viva Slough was painting a tunnel at Salt Hill Park.

"It used to be the filthiest, dirty looking tunnel," Mr Vijh explained.

"There were 40 different volunteers that painted that, and they feel ownership of that mural."

Mr Vijh said the more they could teach people about the town's "rich history", the more they would "see the perceptions changing over a period of time".

Viva Slough Volunteers smiling in a tunnel painted with an under-the-sea theme.Viva Slough
Volunteers helped paint the mural at Salt Hill Park

Volunteer Sheryl Malcolm, who has lived in Slough for 18 years, said the park itself was abandoned and "people felt afraid to walk through [the tunnel]".

"Just to see people walking through and [...] the feedback has been so positive.

"We got more volunteers because they walk through and seen the project take shape and how beautiful it is," she added.

Johana Plazas Sheryl is painting a red streak on the wall with paint clear glasses covering her eyes. Johana Plazas
Sheryl Malcolm was one of the 40 volunteers to paint the mural called The Water Lives In Here
Viva Slough A mural showing a man playing a saxophone. It includes bright colours such as pink, orange and yellow.Viva Slough
The Jazzy Mural painted by local artist Maralin Cottenham is one of the projects Mr Vijh said to make Slough a colourful and vibrant place

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