Mineworkers set for honour at National Memorial Arboretum
An appeal set up to have a permanent memorial to mineworkers installed in Staffordshire next year is closing in on its £100,000 target.
A further £20,000 is needed to get the sculpture completed at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, next year.
A number of fundraising initiatives have been launched by Chase Arts for Public Spaces (Chaps) who are behind the project. Pledges can be made online, via text, bank transfer or by cheque, while pictorial bronze plaques have been offered for sponsorship at £2,500 and pin badges have gone on sale at £5, plus postage and packaging.
Just two of 22 plaques remain, while the first batch of 100 pin badges have been snapped up. However, the appeal has been bolstered by a £20,000 donation from the National Union of Mineworkers – taking the total raised so far to £80,000.
Chris Kitchen, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers said: “The NUM welcome that a National Miners’ Memorial will be erected in the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire, to recognise the role the coal mining industry played both in war time and peace time to the economic prosperity of the United Kingdom and the sacrifice made by miners, their families and communities.
“The NUM would like to thank Chaps for the work they have put in to make this possible and are happy to make a donation towards the National Miners’ Memorial of £20,000. We wish Chaps every success in raising the remainder of the funds required.”
Earlier this year Chaps member and ex-miner Len Prince and his wife Jackie visited the NUM to give a presentation about the memorial to the Yorkshire branch committee, with Mr Kitchen in attendance. This followed on from a visit to the NUM offices last year by Chaps president Mike Mellor and his wife Trish.
The memorial, made from Derbyshire stone and sculpted by Andy de Comyn, will stand at 5m long by 2m high and 1m wide and will pay tribute to those who worked in the coal industry, including the ones who fought in conflict for their country.
A site has been identified and Chaps aims to have the memorial unveiled in June or July 2021.
Chaps president Mike Mellor said support for the project had come from all over the country, with expressions of interest in pin badges from Australia.
He added: “It’s absolutely tremendous, wonderful to have so much raised at this stage. On behalf of all the Chaps committee, we are so grateful for the support. It’s definitely achievable that we will reach the target amount in order to ensure completion of the project next year, as planned.”
Follow the progress at www.facebook.com/ChaseArtsForPublicSpaces or on twitter @miners_memorial
