CISWO backs grassroots football in Stobswood as England begin World Cup campaign
The Coal Mining Charity is helping to preserve community recreational spaces.
CISWO, the Coal Mining Charity, is recognising the the vital role that grassroots football plays in the local area this World Cup summer.
The organisation, which works to improve lives and reduce disadvantage in former coal mining communities across the United Kingdom, is one of the country’s largest custodians of recreational land, and has made it its mission to strengthen facilities such as Stobswood Welfare Recreation Ground.
CISWO’s aim is to preserve football pitches and other community spaces so that they can remain accessible for former mining communities and future generations. As such, the charity helps protect and support recreational spaces that give hundreds of non-league clubs and children’s teams a place to train, compete, and develop a lifelong love of the game.
Through their efforts - which also includes supporting former coal miners and their families - the charity hopes to foster participation in football at every level.
And against the backdrop of the World Cup 2026 across the Atlantic in North America, CISWO is eager to continue standing behind the local clubs, volunteers and young players who represent football’s foundations.
Reflecting on her organisation’s work, Nicola Didlock, Chief Executive of CISWO, said: “Grassroots football facilities are vital community assets. They give children and young people the chance to be active, build confidence and enjoy all the benefits that sport can bring.
“As England and Scotland begin their World Cup campaigns, we’re proud to support the pitches and places that help inspire the next generation of players and bring communities together.”