King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Project 2023-25
This project ended in July 2025.
City of Doncaster Council was been awarded almost £100k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which will be put towards 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 project helped make the rest of the collection more accessible to the public at the City of Doncaster Archives at Chequer Road. There was also a range of volunteering opportunities on the project which included undertaking collections research and digitisation. Sessions using the rich historic collections were run for young carers and veterans.
To read the research articles produced as part of this project, please visit the Military History section of this website.
To listen to the audio stories produced by Doncaster young carers, visit the History Report page.
About the Project
This project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible by National Lottery players.
Cllr 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 the City of Doncaster Council through our Dynamic Collections Campaign to ensure that the Kings’ Own Yorkshire Light Infantry collection is preserved for years to come, meaning that local communities and visitors can learn more about this important heritage.”
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.