Our impact

CISWO’s personal welfare team helped former miner Donald to apply for financial support and a blue badge, helping to improve his quality of life and maintain his independence.

“Life is much easier now. The blue badge means that I don’t have to walk too far, especially for medical/hospital appointments. The welfare benefits have also helped me to get my bathroom adapted so that it is more accessible. I have tried to apply for this myself previously, but it was so daunting that I threw the forms away. If it wasn’t for CISWO I wouldn’t have either of these things. I am very grateful for the support I have received.”

We have worked with Easington Social Welfare Centre, County Durham, around a range of issues including governance advice, financial planning and sustainability. Whilst providing this support it was identified that urgent repairs were needed to prevent the collapse of part of the building’s roof and further internal damage to other parts of the welfare building.

Through a £25,000 CISWO grant, essential repairs have been undertaken, making the welfare safe and watertight, allowing areas of the building to be brought back into use and has protected this well-loved facility for use by future generations.

“As the hub of a former coal mining community, the support we receive from CISWO is vital for the centre to continue the work we do with our residents. They have been a vital contributor to our community over the years. The funding we received will ensure we can bring two rooms back into use, helping us to deliver services this community desperately needs.”
– Lynn Dodds, Chair of Trustees.

Following a life changing health diagnosis, Mark was finding it difficult to navigate the stairs up to his first floor property and worried about his future. We supported Mark to move into one of our self-contained, low cost bungalows, which has significantly improved his quality of life, and eased some of his worries around coping in the future.

“Moving into this bungalow has changed my life, in fact I would say that it has also prolonged my life. The first night after moving in I felt like a weight had been lifted, knowing that I have everything I need and no longer had to worry about having to climb stairs to access my home. I am very grateful for all the support.”

Phoebe, who is in her final year of study, was supported with an education grant from CISWO for all four years of her degree at The University of St. Andrews. Phoebe comes from a proud mining family – her father worked as a miner in Nottinghamshire, along with her uncle and grandfathers on both sides. Studying a degree in English, Phoebe will complete her course in 2025, and hopes to continue her studies to become a qualified English teacher.

“The CISWO educational grant was invaluable. I received it every year of my degree and it helped massively. The cost of living at university can become a real economic strain and extra burden when trying to focus on your studies. The grant eased this burden for me and allowed me to focus entirely on my work. It was also really encouraging psychologically knowing that CISWO wants people like me to go on to further education and succeed.”

Our support has enabled Phoebe to overcome financial barriers and has helped to ensure that she has funding to purchase essential items to aid her studies and help her to achieve her educational goals.