YORKSHIRE had a proud tradition of coal mining. Actual coal mining in the county — and in Britain — came to an end in December 2015 with the closure of Kellingley colliery, but the traditional solidarity of the mining communities lives on.

The Yorkshire coalfield was so huge that when the Labour government of 1946 nationalised the coal industry, it had to be broken up into four administrative areas by the newly created National Coal Board. The areas were North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Barnsley, and Doncaster.

Over the years the Yorkshire miners gained a proud and deserved reputation for militancy, but there were different degrees of militancy across the four areas.

Doncaster area was almost certainly the most militant of the four, due in at least some part to the influence of the Communist Party of Great Britain in the industry there from the 1960s onwards.

Now a group of people has come together to make sure that Doncaster’s mining heritage and its solidarity are remembered through the creation of a permanent monument.

The campaign is called simply Doncaster Mining Statue. It has a target of £130,000 and donations will have to be made pretty sharpish as the fundraising drive ends on December 10 — that’s on Monday.

Nikki McDonald is one of the organisers.

“The need for the hugely important role of the mining industry in the area should be properly remembered, not just as a memorial, but as a living influence on the region,” she told the Morning Star.

“We need to raise £130,000 by public subscription. This is being done through the fundraising efforts of local organisations, the Labour Party, unions and individuals. We are about £10,000 short of the target.

“One of the conditions to crowdfunding is that if the target is not reached by a certain date all monies have to be returned. That date is fast approaching — so we are making one last push to raise sufficient funds.”

The Doncaster monument will be unique, featuring in bronze the faces of real miners, set in a wall along with oral histories.

McDonald said: “The statue is of significant importance to Doncaster as it draws on the stories and experiences of our former mining communities. It will also be the first mining statue located in the heart of the town centre, a talking point for residents and visitors alike.

“With the final closure of Hatfield pit in 2015, a chapter of our mining history came to an end, but that isn’t the end of the book…

“Our mining story lives on in the hearts and minds and experiences of our ex-miners and their families — and in their stories.”

The campaigners are working with internationally acclaimed sculptor Laurence Edwards, and are planning “a wonderful monument to our mining past, a sculpture that will capture these voices and stories for generations to come, and celebrate a way of life that has been so important to the town.”

Details of the project are at www.doncastersminingstatue.org.uk.