A bronze statue tribute to Shirebrook Colliery and the town’s mining heritage was unveiled at a special community event.

The statue, designed by famous sculptor Peter Walker, has taken pride of place in Shirebrook Market Place.

It is aimed to represent the heritage of the town, miners’ families, and those who lost their lives to mining locally.

The statue depicts a miner working at the coalface, while above him are standing a woman and a child.

Paid for by former miners and the community, it was unveiled at a special ceremony that included a march, music, speeches, wreath-laying, and more.

Organisers said the statue was a community project that will provide a lasting memorial for many years to come.

The Memorial Committee, made up of former mineworkers Bruce Towers, Len Tipple, John Thomas, Barry Henderson (who sadly died in 2021), Alan Gascoyne and Mark Hill, first came together in August 2020 with a plan to commemorate the deaths of 74 men and children at the colliery during its lifetime — 1896 to 1993 — and the commitment of all the men and women who worked there.

The people of Shirebrook and the surrounding communities helped to raise more than £180,000 for the project.

Sculptor Peter Walker was commissioned to turn the committee’s dream into reality and worked closely with them.

An online competition to select a man, woman, and child to represent the miner, his wife, and child on the memorial was held, judged by Peter and his wife, Kate. They chose Leanne Nussey, Macaulay Parkin, and Molly Hinchley.

During the fundraising the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded a grant to help with the restoration of the NUM Derbyshire Area banner as part of the project.

The banner, which was proudly held high at the ceremony, is now in the Peoples History Museum, Manchester.

The unveiling ceremony began with music from Shirebrook Miners’ Welfare Band, before the memorial was revealed by Beverley Henderson and Alan Gascoyne.

Following the unveiling the Rev Karen Bradley, from Shirebrook Holy Trinity Church, blessed the memorial.

A wreath was then laid by Len Tipple and John Thomas, commemorating the lives of those killed while working at the pit.

One of the worst disasters took place on 26th March, 1907, at around 5.40am, when three men died.

A cage carrying the men, along with 11 others, broke. The three men fell out of the cage and dropped to their deaths at the bottom of the pit shaft.

While the wreath-laying ceremony took place the band played The Miners’ Hymn, Gresford.

The band also led, along with the newly-restored NUM Derbyshire Area banner, a march to Shirebrook Miners’ Welfare, where a meal was held to thank organisers, committee members, and community supporters, and a buffet and entertainment was provided for those attending the unveiling.