BARNSLEY’S proud mining and sporting heritage - two intrinsically linked aspects of the town’s history - will be celebrated together after a groundbreaking scheme received funding.

Pits To Pitches will bring together former miners, local sportsmen, schools and multiple miners’ welfare venues to ensure that the stories of Barnsley’s coalfields and their deep ties to grassroots sport are passed on to future generations.

Over the next year, Pits To Pitches will capture oral histories from former miners and sports players, deliver ten afternoon sessions in schools across Grimethorpe, Mapplewell, Darton and Dodworth and at miners’ welfares.

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, interactive information boards at key heritage sites will also be created.

Leaders behind the project - which will be delivered by the Mid-Yorkshire Community Foundation CIC - are now calling on the community to get involved.

Andrew Clayton, project manager, said: “Barnsley’s pits and sport have always gone hand-in-hand.

“The mines shaped our communities and the sports fields gave them pride, resilience and togetherness.

“This project is about ensuring those stories are not lost but celebrated, shared and passed on.”

According to the National Lottery Heritage Fund - which has given billions away to projects which centre around communities and their history - a total of £70,500 made its way to Pits To Pitches.

Plans are afoot to tailor sessions to each area’s history, although given many pit communities across Barnsley were similar - with workers in collieries and the focal point of miners’ welfares being a key part of their spare time - localised content for each is being sought.

For many, the clubs were at the heart of the community’s political social and sporting activities and were places to have a drink with mates after a gruelling day down the pit, somewhere to go for a dance or to watch live entertainment, a venue to celebrate weddings and christenings, or to take part in a local club or activity.

Helen Featherstone, director for the fund, added: “We are delighted to support the Mid-Yorkshire Community Foundation CIC to work with local communities and schools to explore the stories of Barnsley’s coalfields.

“They are closely linked to the grassroots sporting heritage of the town.

“We don’t define heritage - we ask you to tell us what you think is important and should be preserved.

“From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more - heritage can be anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations.

“We know that heritage plays a huge role in bringing people together and creating a sense of pride in local communities and this project will certainly do that, thanks to National Lottery players.”