A COMMUNITY project in Workington exploring working class history has been awarded more than £20,000 from Historic England.

The People of Jane Pit project has been awarded £24,000 to help people remember the mining industry and its workers' long history in the town.

In Workington, the People of Jane Pit project will use film, digital trail, minecraft 3d models and DigVentures to work with young people to reveal and celebrate the contribution that miners made to Workington's history and development.

The announcement follows an open call earlier this year, inviting community or heritage organisations across the country to apply for grants of up to £25,000 in a bid to 'further the nation’s collective understanding of the past'.

It is one of eleven projects across the North West region that will receive grants from the scheme which focuses on heritage that links people to overlooked historic places, with a particular interest in 'recognising and celebrating working class histories'.

The projects in the North West were selected from more than 500 nation-wide applications and are among 57 successful bids being announced today.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “I’m excited to see the wide range of creative approaches and subjects proposed for Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories.

"These community-led projects demonstrate that heritage is all around us and accessible to everyone.

"They will highlight that wherever people live they are surrounded by historic buildings, landscapes and streets, industrial and coastal heritage that can help bring communities together.

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“The histories of castles and great houses and their inhabitants are well documented, but we know far less about our everyday heritage.

"From council estates, pubs and clubs, to farms, factories and shipyards, these are the places where most people have lived, worked and played for hundreds of years.

"We want to explore these untold stories and celebrate the people and places at the heart of our history.”

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