A ROCK painting craze sweeping the nation has made its way to Rudheath.

Rudheath mum Sally Whittaker set up a Facebook group for residents to find colourful rocks left in woodlands, along the riverside or hidden on paths around the village.

The mum-of-two said: “I set up Rudheath Rocks, inspried by the nearby group Rocking Hartford, not very long ago and it’s been brilliant to see how quickly it has taken off within the community. It’s also nice in an age of technology that kids are just as happy painting rocks and getting outside.”

The fad took America by storm over the summer, with a social experiment called ‘The Kindness Rock Project’ which aims to inspire others through randomly placed rocks. Since then, the trend has picked up in the UK.

Sally said: “We also get the kids involved at the youth club, which I volunteer at on Friday nights. Something like this is great fun when we get together in a big group.”

Known as ‘Rockers’, almost 270 adults, teenagers and children will paint these stones with a unique design and leave them in places to be found by others such as parks or tourist spots.

Hayley Gaylard-Rees, a 34-year-old mum from Marlowe Rd, said: “I loved the idea of a community getting involved all together in something like the rock hunting. The idea is fab for the creative rockers to design them and also great for those who love to hide and seek. Also, anything that gets children active is a big tick for me.”

Designs range from simple patterns and meaningful quotes to well-known cartoon characters and intricate works of art.

Louise Roberts, 40-year-old Greenway Drive resident, said: “We are all a very artistic family and we love the idea of creating little pieces of rock art for others to find and enjoy. Anything that brings a community together and encourages new friendships and good vibes in the area is fantastic.”

If residents find one of the rocks on your daily school run or commute to work, they are encouraged to re-hide the rock and share a social media picture for the original hider to see.

Sally is greatly supported by Emma Thistleton and Penny Powell-Shackleston in running the successful group in Rudheath, with further plans to expand into bordering areas of Rudheath like Witton and Lostock.

She added: “It’s great for the artists to see just where their creations can end up. Sometimes they have travelled quite a distance from their original hiding places. I know that some people even take rocks away on holiday with them and they can end up in places like Venice and New York, it’s crazy! If we make sure to mark them properly before hiding them, they can always be traced right back here to Rudheath.”

To get involved in the trend, go to the Facebook group set up for Rudheath on facebook.com/groups/149474989041611/

Have you found any painted rocks hidden around your village? Email them to andrew.nuttall@newsquest.co.uk