People Like Me: Recovery & unity through sport and creativity

Celebrate the resilience, solidarity and collective spirit that made mining communities unique.

People Like Me is a co-created exhibition with Art@Pinders, an art group based at Pinderfields Hospital whose members include people with disabilities, their families, and friends. Through photography and objects we explore the vital role miners’ welfares played in the rehabilitation, convalescence, and recovery of injured miners.

Mining was dangerous work. Accidents and industrial illnesses such as pneumoconiosis affected many miners and their families, and injury could bring an abrupt end to a working life. Yet recovery was rarely something people faced alone. Hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and convalescent homes became places where people met others who understood their experiences first-hand. Finding “people like me” , whether fellow patients, family members, friends, or members of a close-knit community , could make a profound difference.

For many, recovery was about more than physical healing. Sport and creativity offered opportunities to rebuild confidence, develop new skills, form friendships, and explore new possibilities. Alongside the support of families, friends, and mining communities, these activities helped people navigate change and discover new opportunities they might never otherwise have encountered.

Displayed across the conference lobby and café, this exhibition brings together photographs, objects, artwork, and personal stories that explore recovery and unity through sport and creativity.