Pupils create tribute to the 96

The project, which is being run in conjunction with local residents, Liverpool City Council, John Moores University, the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Liverpool Football Club, will see a giant jigsaw of the children's drawings constructed on the corner of Oakfield Road and Bala Street.

96 pupils from the local All Saints Primary School will each design a piece of the jigsaw, with their task to convey what Hillsborough means to them via words and pictures, though the drawings can also be of anything football related to communicate messages of sportsmanship and respect - for each other and the game.

The second workshop to create the images was completed on Thursday morning at the school and attended by HFSG chair Margaret Aspinall and Jenni Hicks, who are delighted that awareness of Hillsborough is being passed down to a generation who were yet to be born at the time of the 1989 tragedy.

Mrs Aspinall said: "It is a lovely, lovely idea and it's great to get children involved - and to have 96 children involved is nice for all of the families.

"This is a way of educating children without actually putting any bad ideas into their heads. It allows them to use their own initiatives about Hillsborough.

"For the children to come out with their own ideas of how they perceive what happened at Hillsborough is marvellous."

The drawings will now be laser cut and engraved onto wood ready for the final display, which is expected to be joined together and unveiled next month.

Mrs Hicks is eager for the project to provide positive messages to children in the local community regarding the importance of respect and safety in football.

She added: "It's great that awareness of Hillsborough is being handed down to the next generation.

"What I am looking forward to most is seeing how the children have interpreted what we have said to them about Hillsborough, the events of the day and how 96 people died there.

"The biggest thing I would like to get across from this project is that while there is of course rivalry at football matches and you want your team to win and beat the other team, but at the end of the day, respect is very important and from that I believe will come safety.

"Have respect for yourself, respect for your team and respect for others. I think everything else follows on from that."

The idea came to fruition after members of the COBRA Residents Association wrote to Liverpool City Council asking for work to be done on a small piece of derelict land situated on the corner of Bala Street and Oakfield Road.

After being granted permission by the land owner, as well as funding from the council, COBRA began working with LCC and John Moores University to complete a community arts-based project entitled '4 Corners' before deciding to create a piece of art in relation to Hillsborough.

Liverpool City Council neighbourhood officer Colin Harris explained: "The chair of the COBRA Residents Association, Ian Watts, had an idea about doing a piece of artwork linked to Hillsborough on a positive level. That's when we got in contact with Liverpool Football Club, who put us in touch with the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

"We told the HFSG it was a tentative idea and that if they didn't feel it was suitable, it would go no further - but the committee members loved the idea, especially the fact we are working with young people, it's art and we are getting a positive message out there.

"We're at the middle stage now. The final stage will be when the 96 pieces of jigsaw are formed as one piece of art and that will then be positioned on the site."

A Liverpool FC spokesperson said: "It's very important children understand the significance and are aware of what happened at Hillsborough and the affect it had on so many people, even if it happened long before they were born.

"We're pleased we are able to work with Liverpool City Council, John Moores University and the Hillsborough Family Support Group in supporting this project."