CISWO – The Coal Mining Charity – has written to the newly appointed Prime Minister, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, congratulating him on his appointment and calling for constructive engagement on the future of miners’ welfare organisations and the communities they continue to serve.
In a letter sent by Chief Executive Nicola Didlock, the charity welcomes the Prime Minister’s stated ambitions to renew trust in politics, foster greater collaboration and deliver positive change for communities across the country.
The letter highlights the Prime Minister’s own connection to community institutions through Stubshaw Cross Community and Sports Club in Makerfield, describing such places as living symbols of resilience, pride and shared heritage.
In the letter Nicola Didlock, Chief Executive of CISWO, said:
At the heart of our work are the independent miners’ welfare organisations we support. Each has its own trustees, history and longstanding connection to the community it serves. These are not abstract institutions. They are football pitches where children still play, community hubs where loneliness is eased, and green spaces that continue to anchor identity and wellbeing.
CISWO is not a political organisation; as a self-funded charity dedicated to supporting former miners’ and mining communities, our funds and resources are used to support those we are established to serve, not campaigning and lobbying. Our role is based on partnership – providing advice, practical assistance, funding support and, where necessary, a vital lifeline.
Many miners’ welfare organisations continue to serve as the social heart of their communities. Their facilities provide opportunities for sport, volunteering, social connection and improved wellbeing. In many former mining villages, they offer some of the last remaining communal spaces and continue to safeguard a proud local heritage.
Over the past three years alone, CISWO has invested over £3.1 million in supporting more than 200 miners’ welfare charities across the UK. Whilst providing over £400,000 of CISWO direct funding to support the maintenance and upgrading of their facilities, we have also secured almost £1million of external funding for miner’s welfare charities to secure their charities’ futures. This support has helped preserve community facilities, strengthen governance and keep valued local assets open and accessible.
Nicola Didlock added:
Former mining communities made an extraordinary contribution to Britain’s economic and industrial development. The welfare movement was founded on principles of mutual support, dignity and collective responsibility, values that remain as relevant today as ever.
We greatly value our relationships with MPs representing former mining areas and remain committed to working collaboratively with elected representatives from all political parties. We believe that open dialogue, evidence-led discussion and genuine partnership offer the best means of supporting coalfield communities and preserving their unique heritage.
The charity says it hopes to strengthen relationships between Parliament and the local organisations that support former mining communities every day, ensuring that the proud legacy of Britain’s coalfields is understood, recognised and supported.