About us

Improving Lives

Our work and impact

We are CISWO. The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation. We’re a UK-wide charity providing free support to former coal miners and their families.

Since 1995, we’ve been working to improve lives and reduce disadvantage in coal mining communities. Our services make a real difference to people’s lives. Our focus is on providing for former mineworkers and their families most in need through our personal welfare service, helping people with practical and emotional support, benefits advice, advice about coping with ill-health and immobility and providing access to financial support.

We also work to secure the future of recreational facilities in former coal mining communities and work with local mining charities to ensure their services continue.

Our Strategy

We are committed to providing support for former mineworkers and their dependents both now, and into the future. To meet this commitment, we have a five-year strategic plan for 2017 – 2022 with four clear objectives:

• Our services will make a real difference, and be of high quality, focusing on those individuals and families most in need.


• We will support other mining charities to deliver services where there is evidenced need.


• We will secure the provision of recreational facilities where these are still needed and utilised by former coal mining communities.

We will secure the ongoing financial viability of the organisation to meet current and future needs How we deliver against these objectives on a yearly basis will be outlined in our Annual Report.