A West Cumbria arts and crafts shop is teaming up with schools from around the region to produce mosaic murals commemorating the past year.

Led by Lesley Edmondson who runs The Crafty Workshop in Workington, the project has been set up to help children in the area to document what the past year has been like for them through art, with an eye on looking to the future.

"The project began after I noticed on a nationwide social media page for people who run pottery and art studios that last year a couple of places also did projects with local schools," Lesley said.

"I just thought it was such a lovely idea. Due to the lockdown earlier this year, and how long it went on, I often think you never know what impact it has had on young people.I felt that it would be a nice idea for children to put down their feelings in art by remembering the past year and also by documenting things they are looking forward to doing as lockdown eases."

Lesley has already been able to attract three schools to take part, namely Workington's Victoria Infants School and Junior School, as well as Monkwray School at Whitehaven, with more bookings in the pipeline.

The Crafty Workshop supplies the tiles and painting equipment for the schools that are involved with the rest up to the pupils involved to create the works.

"We've delivered tiles in the past week to a couple of schools, I can't wait to see their finished wall murals," she explains.

Lesley added that she hopes that the project can help the youngsters involved to embrace creativity as a way of expressing themselves.

"We want to offer the children something that is slightly outside the curriculum and this is an opportunity for them to try something new.

"The young children of today are our region's future artists and if this helps them to express themselves, while unearthing a talent or a hobby, then that's such a positive going forward for everyone."