You could be forgiven for thinking that the concept of a ’coal fund’ is a thing of the past. A relic of a time before central heating, when impoverished people were given bags of coal by businessmen to help them through the winter.

However, the Douglas Coal Fund is still going strong, more than 170 years since its inception. And, sadly, there is still a high demand for its services.

In 1960, the Isle of Man Times described the Fund as ’the island’s oldest charity’, saying: ’No one can quite recall just when the fund was founded’.

It’s generally agreed that the fund formed in 1849. It was first reported on by the Manx Sun that year, when they said: ’We understand this excellent charity continues to give out every fortnight, to 400 applicants or thereabouts, 1 cwt. (hundredweight) of coal each.’

The charity has been operating ever since, thanks to the dedication shown by volunteers who nowadays ensure fuel vouchers are distributed to those in need in Douglas and some surrounding areas (Onchan, Union Mills and Braddan).

For the past 125 years, the High Baliff of the island has acted as its President (now Patron), a position that continues to this day with Mrs Jayne Hughes in the chair.

The fund has had many hard-working and dedicated volunteers over its long existence, but a stalwart and driving force of the fund was the late Jacqui Shimmin, who was involved for 34 years from 1976 as a committee member, and in later years as chairman.

She co-opted (or ’press ganged’ as current members attest) many friends, neighbours and family onto the committee of the fund.

We sat down with the current chairman, Anita Ardern, treasurer, Steve Fuller and secretary Barbara Shimmin to discuss the fund, its hard working members, and its important work.

Barbara is Jacqui Shimmin’s daughter-in-law - ’Hence the comment that she press ganged people into the fund’.

Mrs Ardern has been involved with the fund since 2002, firstly as a committee member, before she become chairman in November 2010.

Meanwhile, Mr Fuller only recently joined the fund, bringing a wealth of experience from the banking/trust sector.

He said: ’Everyone has heard about food banks, food banks get huge amounts of publicity now because they’re all over the UK and everywhere else, but something like this that deals with fuel poverty is quite unique.

’Particularly when it’s got a name like the "coal fund".’

The trio admit that the charity’s name can cause people to think they cannot help with anything beyond coal.

As Mrs Ardern said: ’I just say we help with household heating.

’We’ve had a few discussions at our committee meetings about changing the name, but we’ve stuck with Douglas Coal Fund because of the historical side of it, but we did change our vouchers quite some time ago to "fuel".

’Household fuel, so gas, electric, coal, wood, you know, we kind of made it more modern I suppose.’

The fund sees paper vouchers worth £40 distributed monthly from November to March to those who need them, based on strict eligibility criteria set entirely by the trustees.

This criteria is reviewed regularly, in addition to the amount the vouchers are worth.

People are referred to the fund by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), health or social workers, other charities, and even friends and neighbours who hear about their work.

As Mr Fuller said: ’We’ve had a lot of new applicants this year, based on previous years.

’But the eligibility and criteria is based around minimum earnings.

’We have to draw the line somewhere. If we just said, "If you’re having trouble with your gas come to us", it would be beyond our capabilities to do that.

’So we have to decide who is eligible.’

Currently, the qualifying household income has to be below £310 per week. Child benefit and disability living allowance are not included in the household income.

The Douglas Coal Fund vouchers can only be used to pay for domestic fuel and cannot be used for anything else.

They can be used to pay for gas, oil, electricity and even coal bills, and can also only be used by the person whose name is written on the voucher.

They can be accepted by: Manx Utilities, the Co-op or Spar stores in Douglas that have Electric Key machines, Manx Gas, Coal Merchants (Castletown Fuels Ltd.; A.A. Solid Fuel; Northern Fuels Ltd., Bio-Mann, Laxey, Manx Petroleums, Ellan Vannin Fuels and CPL Petroleums.

Recent price hikes by Manx Gas have yet to have made an impact on those seeking help from the fund, but other circumstances have seen the reliance on the charity jump in recent years.

’I think Covid has probably brought more people to us, not just the gas and electricity rises,’ said Mrs Ardern.

Last winter (November 2020 - March 2021), 195 households were assisted by the fund.

The total number of people, including children, who benefited was 225.

This help cost the fund £36, 080.

Mrs Shimmin said: ’We have tried harder so far this winter to try and find [people].

’We know there are more people out there that we could help.

’Me and my sister, who is also one of the trustees targeted all of the Spar shops and pharmacies that have a notice board, and the Co-op on the Terrace and things, and I have had quite a few phone calls as a result of that.’

The trio also wished to pay tribute to two retired members of the committee, who dedicated many years to the fund.

Ms Sandra Mousley was treasurer for 11 years, from November 2010 to November 2021.

Of Ms Mousley, Mrs Ardern said: ’She worked tirelessly to bring us into the 21st century.’

Mr Fuller added: ’From my perspective, they’ve gone from things being written down when she first arrived to now fully spreadsheeted. It has been seamless for me, it’s made my life very easy because everything is just so precise.’

Meanwhile, Mrs June Gawne was a committee member and lattely a trustee from October 2006 to November 2021.

All in all, she represented the fund for 15 years.

Mrs Gawne was praised, with her experience described as ’invaluable’. Her work with the DHSC added ’admin skills and benefits knowledge’ which aided the fund greatly.

l For those in need, who think the Douglas Coal Fund may be able to assist, you should contact telephone number 622193, or via Facebook - www.facebook.com/DouglasCoalFund1850/ or email [email protected]

Further vouchers will be distributed again on February 15 and March 15 this year.