GRAFFITI can be art or vandalism and in its second form leaves unsightly marks physically and psychologically.
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To fight against graffiti vandalism the community has been called to arms to be part of Graffiti Removal Day this Sunday.
It is an initiative between the state government and Rotary Down Under and supported by councils, including Lake Macquarie.
The aim is to encourage people to volunteer their time and be involved in the graffiti removal and prevention.
One advocate of the day is Lake Macquarie PCYC's manager Andrew Best.
For the third year, he has nominated the PCYC's Windale building as a clean-up site.
Mr Best said the building, due to its sheer size, was an ideal place for graffiti art and vandalism.
"We have both here, one is definitely art and the other sheer destruction," he said.
Mr Best said vandals also targeted the building due to its isolated location.
He liked to remove the graffiti, he said, as it was ugly, dishonoured the club's work and made people feel unsafe.
Mr Best said it was an expensive and time-consuming exercise for any organisation, business or home owner.
For the PCYC, he said, it was even more so due to the building's besser blocks and pebblecrete construction that sucked up the paint and needed spray guns to cover it.
Last year, a dozen volunteers removed graffiti from the building's walls and repainted one of the besser walls white.
The wall became a canvass for a graffiti mural, which has not been vandalised.
This year, Mr Best hopes to hit multiple areas.
He already has some volunteers for this Sunday from 9am to 1pm but welcomes more.
Volunteers will be provided with cleaning supplies, paint, safety equipment and training on how to remove graffiti safely. Lunch will be provided.
Each volunteer needs to be registered, which can be done online at graffitiremovalday.org.au or on the day at the site at 8A Lake Street, Windale.
Lake Macquarie and Newcastle Graffiti Removal Day clean-up sites
Warners Bay, Underpass Macquarie Drive near South Creek;
South Belmont, 14 Williams Street;
Cardiff, 54 Harrison Street;
Toronto, Carey Street, 16 The Boulevard;
Windale, 8A Lake Street;
Wallsend, Federal Park;
Mayfield, Laneway between Barton and Kerr streets, Victoria Street
■ Graffiti Removal Day, Sunday, October 18. Go to graffitiremovalday.org.au or phone 1300665310 for more information, or to nominate a site.
