A history project which mapped the addresses of the 440 victims of the 1913 Universal Colliery Disaster in Senghenydd has won a prestigious award.
The project, run by Caerphilly County Borough Council on behalf the Aber Valley Heritage Group, was the winner of the Citizen Exemplar Award 2012 at a ceremony in central London.
The award was presented during the annual ‘Everything Happens Somewhere’ Conference on October 25. The conference was run by GeoPlace – a public organisation that promotes better use of public data.
The project was undertaken as part of a new website devoted to the UK’s worst ever mining disaster.
Cllr Keith Reynolds, deputy leader of the council, said: “I would like to congratulate all those involved in the successful implementation of this project, which will allow people to recognise the enormous scale of the mining disaster that happened in Senghenydd those many years ago. We pride ourselves on excellent delivery of all of our services and to be distinguished with such a prestigious award is testament to all our staff who continue to provide first rate services to our residents.”
Judges recognised that mapping the victims’ homes provided a focal point in drawing attention to the scale of the disaster.
It was noted that there was a striking impression in the density of distress, house after house, street after street, and also the unexpected aspects in the distance some men travelled to work – some from as far as Cardiff docklands.
Visit www.abervalleyheritage.co.uk for more information about the project.