A MISSION to brighten up people’s day with messages of love and inspiration has hit the streets of Swindon.

Trio Jon Richards, 29, his brother Paul, 33, and friend Dan Dinsey, 29, set up the CAREmongers project amid reports in July of post-Brexit xenophobia.

The idea was to use their skills as graphic designers to create the uplifting adverts to spread hope instead of hate.

And the first of the posters they designed has this week been put up in Cheney Manor road to catch the eyes of everyone who passes.

It will remain there for two weeks before another colourful billboard, which will read ‘It’s nice to be nice’, pops up in the busy County Road and Manchester Road area at the end of the month for a week.

However, the campaign would not have been made possible without the support of more than 100 people who have backed the project to donate £1,480.

“We are really surprised at how much we have raised so far and it is great that it has gone from this nice idea to a reality because of so many generous like-minded people,” said Jon.

“Hopefully seeing that this is actually real and the posters are now going up might encourage more people to kindly donate so we can continue spreading hope.

“In addition to the ones in Swindon there will be a roadside poster in Bristol near the Hippodrome, and railway platform posters in Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

“Hopefully this is just the start of things to come and with more donations, we can run another campaign.”

The group has also been busy posting funny, kind and positive messages across social media, which has seen scores of people share them on their own social media sites.

Speaking about why they first set up the campaign, Jon, who lives in Haydon Wick with wife Zoe and their daughter, said: “Every time I saw the news in the days after the referendum I felt powerless.

“It feels like it has allowed people to voice these opinions that most of society think are wrong but people are scared to counter it because they don’t want to cause conflict.

“I felt like I wanted to do something. Then I suddenly realised that there is something you can do. We chatted and came up with the idea of CAREmongers, the opposite of scaremongers that was used so much in debates about the EU.

“This is a very passive approach to put more positivity and kindness back in the world.”

Dozens of people have reacted to the new poster, one said: “It’s a great life when you lose the hate. Fair play to people who bother to make a difference.”

Another added: “Keep up the good work. I love the care-mongering angle, it’s made my day.”

For more information go to caremongers.com or www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/caremongers