Campaigners awarded funding for new mining banner

An old miners' banner will be remade after campaigners were awarded a Lottery grant of almost £15,000.

The Langley Park Miners' Banner Group was created last year after chair Jack Pringle attended the Durham Miners' Gala and found his village was not represented because its banner had been beyond repair for several years.

Mr Pringle said they were "delighted" with the funding and were going to work with the local community on the design, starting with a public meeting later this month.

Chairman of the Durham Miners' Association Stephen Guy said: "I anticipate that the whole community will rally behind what I know will be a magnificent new banner that the whole village can be justly proud of."

The annual Miners' Gala in Durham city centre sees banners from former pit villages paraded through the streets, along with brass bands and other groups including trade unions and Pride organisations.

Mr Pringle said: "We will be able to visibly connect our village back to its industrial history and galvanise the local community by organising a good presence at next year's Durham Miners' Gala."

The £14,742 grant was awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

After the public meeting, the group said it will move forward with commissioning and producing the new banner.

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