Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation
The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) grew out of the Regional Welfare Committees established by the 1920 Mining Industry Act. When the industry was nationalised, the welfare work was incorporated into a company Limited by Guarantee, called The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation Ltd, that was part of the National Coal Board.
The company was the bit of the NCB that operated “outside the gates” doing everything from helping families after a death to funding a cricket pitch for a colliery welfare. In those days, the funds came from a levy on production and the money came in and went out pretty quickly, hence the many welfares and some wonderful recreation grounds that were established. On privatisation, CISWO was set up as an independent charity with two main aims, supervising the welfares and providing a social work service to miners, ex-miners and their widows. We were given an endowment but any levy on production from the newly privatised pits was to be voluntary.
Guess what? We don’t get anything from them so we have to live on our endowment. These days our main work is with ex-miners and widows and we provide a social work service across the coalfields of England, Scotland and Wales. Our Western Region office, which includes North Wales, is based in Stoke but we do most of our work through home visits and a worker is in North Wales a lot of time. We can help with anything from benefits claims, disability, grants, support etc. We are the last national charity working with ex-miners and in these tough times we are seeing more than ever before. A few years back we used to see 1 new beneficiary a month in North Wales, now it is 6 or 7.
If anyone reading this is an ex-miner / widow needing help or if you know any ex-miner or widow who needs help please tell them to contact us CISWO142 Queens Road Penkhull Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7LH