The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO), which MPs have accused of having leadership failures.
Speaking at last week’s prime minister’s questions, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington Ian Lavery accused CISWO’s leadership of being “increasingly detached from its founding principles”.
“Miners’ welfare, sporting facilities and community facilities have been allowed to rot and to close with little to no support from CISWO,” he said.
“At the same time, CISWO has amassed £30m in the bank.”
This week, the regulator told Civil Society that it opened a compliance case into the charity in March to explore “concerns raised with us about the CISWO”.
“As part of this, we’ve met with the charity’s trustees to gather more information,” a spokesperson said.
“This’ll help us determine what, if any, regulatory role there is for the commission.”
Charity criticised over the years
CISWO, set up under the Miners Welfare Act 1952 to support former coal miners and their families, has been criticised by several MPs, particularly those representing former mining communities, in recent years.
In a 2023 report, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coalfield Communities raised concerns about the charity’s role in helping safeguard community facilities and when properties are sold off.
The following year, Labour MP for Pontypridd Alex Davies-Jones urged the previous government to examine CISWO’s “woeful and appalling operation, management and engagement”.
And last year, civil society minister Stephanie Peacock called on the charity to “strengthen its engagement” with its beneficiaries after concerns were raised in parliament about its financial practices.
Last week, Lavery asked Keir Starmer whether he agreed that CISWO should face “not only a Charity Commission inquiry, but serious reform of its policies, practices and finances”.
“It should benefit the former mining communities it was founded to serve, instead of constructing a £30m ivory tower for the future,” he added.
In response, the prime minister said he was aware of members across the house who had raised issues with the charity directly.
“It’s imperative that these communities are listened to,” he said.
CISWO reported an income of £2.04m, most of which came from investment returns, and expenditure of £3.34m in 2024.
The charity had £27.8m of funds held by investment managers at the end of 2024, according to its accounts.
It reported supporting more than 2,000 former miners or dependant family members and 200 local mining charities in 2024.
CISWO: ‘Inaccurate and incomplete information’
In response, CISWO’s chief executive Nicola Didlock said her charity maintains “full accountability and transparency to the Charity Commission” and is working with the regulator on any issues raised.
“We’re deeply disappointed that Lavery chose to raise this at prime minister’s questions without first taking the time to speak directly with us,” she told Civil Society.
“In the last year alone, we invested almost £1.3m in supporting more than 200 miners’ welfare charities and to help protect recreational spaces across the country.
“This support helps sustain vital community spaces, deliver frontline welfare assistance and protect the land and facilities that remain a source of identity, pride and wellbeing in coalfield areas.
“It’s particularly concerning that Lavery didn’t recognise this significant contribution.”
Didlock added that comments that misrepresent this position risk undermining confidence in hard-working charities.
She said: “I very much appreciate that MPs are entitled to make such statements under parliamentary privilege.
“However, it continues to concern us that such commentary not only projects inaccurate and incomplete information about CISWO into the public domain but also creates a disproportionate and one-sided impression of the work undertaken by charities as a whole.
“The approach taken would seem to go against the stated intention of the government to build a positive and constructive relationship with civil society and those working across the sector.”
