City of Doncaster Council awarded £100k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) collection

The KOYLI regimental museum is based at Danum Gallery Library and Museum and displays weapons, uniforms and medals showcasing the amazing true stories of Yorkshire soldiers and their families in peace and wartime.

This cash injection, made possible by National Lottery players, will help make the collection more accessible to the public at the City of Doncaster Archives at Chequer Road. There will also be a range of volunteering opportunities on the project which will include undertaking collections research and digitisation. Wellbeing sessions using the rich historic collections will be run for young carers and veterans.Coun Nigel Ball, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities, Leisure and Culture from City of Doncaster Council said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund which will allow our collection of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry to grow and prosper and help connect more people to Doncaster’s rich history. We are determined to support our veterans in whatever way we can and this funding will allow us to continue with that.”

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “It is fantastic news that thanks to the National Lottery players, we have been able to support City of Doncaster Council through our Dynamic Collections Campaign to ensure that the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry collection is preserved for years to come, meaning that local communities and visitors can learn more about this important heritage.”

This funding follows on from another financial boost received by City of Doncaster Council from the government's Know Your Neighbourhood Fund. The Danum Volunteers project has been allocated over £82,000 to help residents to tackle isolation and equip them with skills and experience to re-enter the workplace or progress within volunteering roles. Volunteering opportunities will initially begin at Danum Gallery Library and Museum and will then be rolled out to other libraries across the city.