Volunteers needed to help unearth local mining heritage

Groundwork staff member Lili Briggs looking through the remains at Jubilee Colliery

A new local history project is looking for a group of volunteers to discover the secrets of Jubilee Colliery and share their learning with others.

Jubilee Colliery: Preserving the Past aims to find out more about the history of Jubilee, develop resources to educate others and preserve the site for future generations. The project is being delivered by Groundwork and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The location of Jubilee Colliery is now a nature site located on Milnrow Road to the south of Milnrow. The Colliery is one of the largest and best preserved in the Lancashire Coalfield. It represents a big part of the local industrial past as it supplied coal and coke to many of the mills in the area.

Volunteers will take part in archaeological digs, organise community events, work with local schools and develop a Preservation Plan for the site. The group will benefit from free training, learn new digital media skills and be supported by heritage experts throughout the project.

Joanna Fullman, project officer at Groundwork, commented: “When you scratch the surface, Jubilee reveals some fascinating insights into the history of the area. We are planning a number of exciting events and training over the summer so there will be many opportunities for people of all ages to get involved.”

This project follows on from a previous heritage project at the site called ‘Unearthing the Past’. The previous project confirmed that the site is of significant regional interest in terms of the industrial revolution and in the story of the Lancashire Coalfields.

Jubilee Colliery: Preserving the Past is due to start on Monday 28 April 2014 and run for six months. Volunteer activities will run on weekdays and at weekends. There is something for everyone, even if you can only commit to volunteering for a few hours each week. For more information or to register as a volunteer contact Joanna Fullman:

joanna.fullman@groundwork.org.uk
0161 624 1444