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The relationship between miners, their families and the Church will be examined in a special series on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Local Radio to mark the 25th anniversary of the miners' strike.

Starting on Sunday 8 March, Pits And Pulpits will be a series of four special features made by award-winning journalist Kate Linderholm.

It will be broadcast on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's new podcast Faith In England presented by Songs Of Praise and former Blue Peter presenter Diane Louise Jordan. The podcast is available to a national and international audience.

It will also be broadcast by most of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's 40 local radio stations on their Sunday breakfast shows. The podcast will go live on the Tuesday after the Sunday radio broadcast.

The series aims to cover a range of topics including examining how churches became involved in fundraising, supported miners, or helped families suffering stress after weeks without money coming in.

It will also look at the legacy of the relationship between the miners and the Church during the strike.

And finally, the series will reflect the fact that not everyone in the Church approved of the stance taken by some clergy in support of the miners.

Ashley Peatfield, editor of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ English Regions Religion and Ethics, said: "Anyone who lived during the miners' strike will have strong and vivid memories of the events which sprang from it. The names and characters at the heart of the dispute – on all sides – remain familiar and can still provoke strong reactions after a quarter of a century.

"But the strike wasn't just a time for big-name trade union or Government personalities. It was a moment in recent social history when ordinary people found a new place in their communities, and relationships were made and in some cases broken because of the events of the strike."

Notes to Editors

Kate Linderholm is available for interview.

AB2