HERIAN News

Our award is for the lives that were lost

When: 8 Oct 2006

HERIAN was proud to have sponsored this year's Echo Community Heritage Champion Award in partnership with Cadw, and was given the honour of presenting Senghenydd and Abertridwr Linking Together (SALT) with the Award for its work on a permanent memorial to the hundreds of men who lost their lives at Windsor colliery.

This was the first time a category dedicated to Community Heritage has featured in the Echo's Awards, and was aimed at people or groups of people that have demonstrated commitment to delivering projects that help local people and visitors gain a better understanding of the cultural and social heritage of industrial south Wales, and ultimately to making their communities better places to live.

Jeff Pride from HERIAN said: “At the heart of every community is a story or legend of what has gone before and it's important that people's efforts in making sure we all get the chance to experience Wales' fascinating industrial past is recognised. We're excited that this year more people got the chance to tell their story. We uncovered and celebrated many projects, which when they come together, contribute to a much wider industrial heritage trail of South Wales.

“HERIAN was pleased to have supported SALT and the local communities in the Aber Valley in securing the final part of the funding needed to make this project happen. By creating this impressive sculpture the Aber Valley community will make a small but vital contribution to the telling of fantastic story of industrial south Wales and its people.”

The Echo reported how the Community Heritage Champion deserves credit for more than its work to preserve the region's history. The 3.5m-high cylindrical memorial, designed by artist Godfrey Phillips, is a fitting memorial to the 154 miners who died at the Windsor Colliery. It depicts miners underground and has the names of all the men who died down the pit inscribed on it. Yet it is just one of the achievements of the community group, which was set up six years ago.

“We are over the moon, we never thought we had a hope of winning,' said Noel Griffiths, 64, chairman of Salt. ”It was a wonderful day especially to have everyone in different communities recognised.

'We're trying to improve things in the valley. We set up six years ago after we called a meeting because people were fed up with vandalism going on in the village.

'There was talk about a neighbourhood watch group but we realised there was more needed in the village for children.”

As well as getting funding for CCTV cameras in Senghenydd they also received a Sports Council grant of £710,000 for a pavilion, all-weather floodlit training ground, rugby pitch and improvements to the cricket area. .

'”That's in the pipeline,' said Noel. “Although the administration is taking time we're really pleased to have it.

'”When we saw the refurbishment outside the colliery where a new housing estate has been built we thought it would be nice to have a memorial there for the people who lost their lives there.

'”The memorial, which as far as we are concerned is unique, it has the names of all the miners on it and it is near to the road where people can see it as they pass.'

Noel who worked at the Windsor Colliery for 31 years until it closed in 1986, researched the names of those who died there during the pit's working life, including six who died in 1902 when a platform collapsed 25ft into a watery mine shaft.

“Up until 1914, the records were quite good, but then the war started so I had to look at copies of the Caerphilly Journal to get the missing years,' said Noel.

“From when the colliery opened in 1902 to when it closed in 1986, 154 miners were killed there. When I was trawling the local cemeteries looking for names I came across a headstone for the unidentified people who died in the Universal Colliery, where hundreds of men lost their lives.

“The Abervalley and Penyrheol Community councils have agreed to spend money on giving the headstone a makeover, which we are really pleased about.”

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