New roof secures future of miners' welfare hall

The cash has come from powers Business Solutions Foundation and has been secured with help from CISWO the coal-mining charity.

The institute is an integral part of the Mexborough community and the new roof, which also features better insulation, helps to secure its future.

Mexborough Miners’ Welfare Institute offer a wide range of family, social, sporting, and business facilities.

It is the home to many local groups and organisations and serves as a community hub, used by around 200 people each week, with an age range from seven to 80 plus.

Alwyn Bowman, chair of trustees at Mexborough, said: “We are thrilled we have been able to secure funding from the npower Business Solutions Foundation to repair and upgrade the roof on our main hall that will make the building warmer, prevent leaks and reduce our costs to run the facility.

“For many years we have had to continually patch repair the roof which has been at great cost and has disrupted the activities that take place in the hall, with some user groups having to keep their coats on when using it

“The trustees would like to thank the npower Business Solutions Foundation for funding this project, and CISWO for their support and guidance with the funding application, without which, we would have been unable to secure the funds we desperately needed.”

Rick O’Toole, North England Development Manager for CISWO, said: “It is great to see this investment going into Mexborough Miners' Welfare and I am delighted we have been able to support the trustees to secure this crucial funding.

“Local miners’ welfares’ charities provide such valuable community spaces, which is why CISWO works hard to support local trustees to apply for funding, plan for the future, and ensure ongoing provision for the local community.”

Anthony Ainsworth, npower spokesman, said: "The npower Business Solutions Foundation was launched to provide funding to projects and initiatives that make a real difference to their local communities.

These could be to improve spaces to create better wellbeing, or upgrade facilities so they have a positive environmental impact. The Mexborough Miners’ Welfare Institute ticked several of those boxes.