CISWO, the Coal Mining Charity, has launched a new Small Grants Programme specifically for miners’ welfare charities, providing grants of up to £2,000 to help welfares deliver practical improvements, meet urgent compliance requirements and develop projects that benefit their local communities.
The new programme forms part of CISWO’s wider community welfare offer, which is committed to supporting miners’ welfare charities and the vital role they play across former coalfield areas.
Recognising the increasing pressures facing these smaller charities, the fund has been designed to provide accessible, flexible support where it is needed most in former mining communities.
Nicola Didlock, Chief Executive of CISWO, said:
We understand how difficult the current funding environment is for miners’ welfare charities. Securing external funding is becoming increasingly challenging, while costs continue to rise and demands on community facilities and services continue to grow.
We also know that relatively small grants can make a significant difference. Whether that’s addressing an urgent compliance issue, funding a new community activity, improving facilities or supporting a project that would otherwise not happen. That’s why we are pleased to offer this funding, intended specifically to help miners’ welfare charities respond quickly to local need and continue delivering valuable services for their communities.
Miners’ welfare charities remain at the heart of many former mining areas, and CISWO is committed to providing practical support that helps them to be sustainable.
Eligible miners’ welfare charities can apply for grants of up to £2,000 to support:
- Immediate practical improvements to facilities and services
- Emergency or time-critical compliance requirements
- New activities that benefit local communities
- Standalone projects that charities would otherwise be unable to fund
The programme will enable more miners’ welfare charities to access timely support, helping them continue to serve as important community hubs and centres for local activity.