2025 Wrapped

By Sarah Hughes, Education and Outreach Co-ordinator (Mining the Past), Modern Records Centre, January 2026

Sarah joined the Modern Records Centre in July 2025 as Outreach and Education Co-ordinator on the Mining the Past project. Here she shares some of the fantastic outreach, engagement and connections she has made since then.

I joined the Modern Records Centre in July 2025 as Outreach and Education Co-ordinator on the Mining the Past project. Mining the Past is a project to conserve, catalogue and provide access to the archives of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Since July, I have been connecting with mining heritage and local history groups and heritage organisations in former coalmining communities to promote the NUM archives and to talk to former mineworkers and wider audiences about what they would be most interested in finding out about from the archives.

In September I worked with the NUM to organise Heritage Open Days events at the magnificent Miners’ Hall in Barnsley, originally opened in 1912 as the Council Chamber for the then Yorkshire Miners’ Association, on 16th and 17th September.

The events, which attracted around 40 visitors each day, offered me the opportunity to speak with over 60 people, including many former mineworkers, about the Mining the Past project, enabling me to gather feedback which will help us to develop new resources using the NUM archives.

Also in September, I met with members of Castleford Civic Society to find out more about their plans to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1926 General Strike, in particular focusing upon Herbert Smith, President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain from 1922 to 1929, who was raised in Castleford and, following his work in coal mining in the area, became President of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association. I enjoyed sharing information about the NUM archives with group members and discussing how the archives might support their research.

On Sunday 19th October, I was privileged to attend the National Union of Mineworkers (Yorkshire Area) Miners’ Memorial Day Service at Wakefield Cathedral, an important event commemorating those who have given their lives in Yorkshire’s coal mines.

I enjoyed introducing visitors to the event to the NUM archives, and hearing about the areas of particular interest to them within the archives.

NUM (Yorkshire Area) Miners’ Memorial Day Service, Wakefield Cathedral, Sunday 19th October

Sarah with Steven Wyatt, Chair of Dodworth & District Miners’ Memorial Group at the NUM (Yorkshire Area) Miners’ Memorial Day Service

Also in October, I worked with Lizzy Goodger-Allin, Collections Engagement and Outreach Officer with the University of Warwick’s Library, to deliver a session with students from Campion School exploring items from the archives relating to the Warwickshire Miners’ Association and the Warwickshire coalfield. I also began a new collaboration with the History Department at Horizon Community College through which we shall develop Key Stage 3 schemes of work focusing upon mining in the period of the industrial revolution (Y8) and a local study of the 1984-85 miners’ strike (Y9).

Later in October, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery, who shared the brilliant work that they've developed over the years.

It was incredibly useful to discuss the Mining the Past project with the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery volunteers, whose feedback will help to shape our future engagement work.

With the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery

In November, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Northwest Miners Heritage Association over at Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green. It was great to hear about the association’s hopes for the site of the Dream public artwork, which stands on the former spoil heap of the Sutton Manor colliery, and to hear from group members about the aspects of the NUM archives that they would be most interested in digging into.

Also in November, I was grateful to be welcomed along to an Allerton Bowers Local History Group meeting, where I was able to share information about the Mining the Past project and hear more about how the local community came together to develop the Allerton Bywater Colliery Miners’ Memorial, unveiled in 2012, to mark the lives lost at Allerton Bywater.

At the end of November, I was privileged to attend the Swaithe Colliery Disaster 150th anniversary commemoration, organised by Worsbrough Library Heritage Group and local councillor, Jake Lodge, at St Thomas’ Church, Worsbrough. The event formed a moving tribute to the 143, or possibly 144, people who lost their lives underground on December 6th, 1875.

Swaithe Main Colliery Disaster 150th anniversary commemoration event held at St Thomas’ Church, Worsbrough Dale, on 29th November 2025

In December, it was a pleasure to collaborate with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies as part of their Explore Your Archive Focus Week programme to offer a Hands on History event at Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre on Wednesday 3^rd December. Visitors to the event had the opportunity to discover items from the NUM archives, and Barnsley Archives supported our visit by displaying some of the unique items from their West Riding Miners’ Permanent Relief Fund archives.

David Blunden, Sector Specialist with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies, discussing items from the archives shared through the Hands on History event

Also in December, I was pleased to be invited by the NUM and mining heritage group, People and Mining, to take part in the Oaks Colliery Disaster Memorial event held at the NUM Miners’ Offices on 12^th December 2025. I enjoyed sharing information about the Mining the Past project with visitors to the event, and hearing about the areas of particular interest to them within the NUM archives.

Following an invitation from the National Union of Mineworkers, on 18^th December I attended an event at their Miners’ Offices marking 10 years since the closure of Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in the UK. The event offered a further opportunity for me to speak with former mineworkers about the Mining the Past project, enabling me to gather feedback which will help us to develop new resources using the NUM archives.

As we embark on a new year, I look forward to continuing to collaborate with many of the groups and organisations highlighted above as the Modern Records Centre continues its Mining the Past outreach and education work to develop a range of resources based around the NUM archives, including educational materials for schools, a physical exhibition and content for a project website.

---

If you'd like to hear more about the 'Mining the Past' Project or the National Union of Mineworkers archive, please get in touch on