Community digs up £6k to fund miners' memorial

Mining memories run deep in Dodworth and district and to prove it the community has raised more than £6,000 to help fund a miners' memorial wheel.

The cash is in addition to £9,700 awarded to the

Dodworth and District Miners' Memorial Group by the Heritage Lottery Fund to provide the colliery winding wheel, memorial plaques and an interpretation panel in High Street.

Chairman of the memorial group, Steve Wyatt, said the memorial was to commemorate 288 fatalities from eight collieries. He thanked Barnsley Council for helping make the lottery fund application and said: "This is not only about Dodworth but the surrounding district too - miners used to come and work here from all over, including Hoylandswaine, Athersley and Silkstone."

The group's secretary Sandra Birkinshaw said: "It's important to remember that many local miners gave their lives to the industry. There is still a lot of the mining fraternity in Dodworth and many memories, for example, my husband's great granddad used to be manager of Dodworth pit."

One fund-raising coffee morning alone pulled in more than £900 for the £16,000 project, which will feature the half winding wheel on a grit stone plinth with the stainless steel plaques and a tribute poem 'A Miner's Life.'

Also featured will be a map of the colliery's locations and a stainless steel bench.

Children from St John's and Keresforth Schools are contributing pictures which will be incorporated into the memorial.

Mrs Birkinshaw added: "People have been absolutely wonderful in contributing, especially the three Dodworth churches and the Women's Institute."

The Dodworth Miners' Memorial Wheel will be unveiled on June 22, with a big day of events.