Welsh Refugee Council
What it does
We promote the interests of asylum seekers and refugees, and support initiative to ensure they are welcomed in Wales and are given protection and support. We provide advice and support for refugees, focusing on preventing homelessness.We provide paralegal advice and support for women seeking asylum.We run play development sessions for the children of refugees and asylum seekers.
Its charitable purposes
(A) PROVIDE RELIEF FOR REFUGEES AND THEIR DEPENDANTS WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS; (B) PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF REFUGEES AND THEIR DEPENDANTS THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF CULTURAL, ARTISTIC, SPORTING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES; (C) ADVANCE THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF REFUGEES AND THEIR DEPENDANTS IN NEED THEREOF SO AS TO ADVANCE THEM IN LIFE AND ASSIST IN THEIR REHABILITATION WITHIN WALES; (D) PROMOTE RESEARCH INTO THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF REFUGEES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND WAYS OF PROVIDING CHARITABLE RELIEF FOR THEM AND TO PUBLISH THE RESULTS OF ALL SUCH RESEARCH; (E) ADVANCE PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT THE POSITION OF REFUGEES AND THE SITUATION, WHICH GIVE RISE TO REFUGEE MOVEMENTS;
Causes
- What it works on
- General charitable purposes
- Education and training
- Preventing or relieving poverty
- Arts, culture, heritage and science
- Economic and community development, and employment
- Other charitable purposes
- Who it helps
- Children and young people
- Older people
- People of a particular ethnic or racial origin
- Other charities and voluntary bodies
- How it works
- Provides staff or volunteers
- Provides buildings, facilities or open space
- Provides services
- Provides advocacy, advice or information
- Sponsors or carries out research
- Acts as an umbrella or resource body
- Other charitable activities
Where it works
- In Wales
- Throughout Wales
Area of benefit in its governing document: Within Wales.
Income and spending
In the year ending 31 March 2025, it had income of £1,863,958 and spent £1,772,057.
| Year ending | Income | Spending | Paid staff | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £1,863,958 | £1,772,057 | 45 | 40 |
| 31 March 2024 | £1,617,613 | £1,553,923 | 46 | 45 |
| 31 March 2023 | £1,649,580 | £1,475,662 | 39 | 35 |
| 31 March 2022 | £1,627,719 | £1,384,744 | 35 | 40 |
| 31 March 2021 | £1,346,632 | £1,083,738 | 31 | 30 |
Financial position
Separate measures from the charity's own returns and accounts, each with its year. Read them together: no single measure says how well a charity is run.
- Income over time
- Up 38%, from £1,346,632 in the year to 31 March 2021 to £1,863,958 in the year to 31 March 2025.
- Spending against income
- It spent 95% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025. It spent less than its income in each of the 5 years shown.
- Money from government
- 41% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025 came from government grants and contracts (£758,041).
- Largest funder
- Welsh Government gave £900,720 in the year to 31 March 2025, 48% of that year's income.
Government funding, as the charity reported it
Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2025: £373,533 from 3 grants. Government contracts: £384,508 from 2 contracts.
| Year ending | Government grants | Government contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £373,533 from 3 grants | £384,508 from 2 contracts |
| 31 March 2024 | £171,365 from 1 grant | £663,998 from 2 contracts |
| 31 March 2023 | £161,665 from 1 grant | £577,017 from 2 contracts |
| 31 March 2022 | £933,893 from 19 grants | £449,191 from 3 contracts |
| 31 March 2021 | £827,380 from 14 grants | £416,934 from 2 contracts |
Where its income came from in the year ending 31 March 2025
- Donations and legacies£43,280
- Charitable activities, including grants and contracts for its work£1,699,931
- Investments£12,371
- Other£108,376
Who funds it, according to its accounts
In its accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025, the charity named 19 funders who gave £1,699,931 between them. £1,147,986 of that came from public bodies.
These figures were read from the accounts the charity filed with the Charity Commission by Claude, an AI model, in OpenEconomy's accounts reader. AI can misread a table, so check the accounts on the register before relying on a figure.
| Funder | Type | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Government | Welsh Government | £900,720 | £824,168 | £729,113 |
| Moondance Foundation | Trust, company or other | £157,484 | ||
| Oak Foundation | Trust, company or other | £145,655 | £138,000 | £128,631 |
| Gwent TNLCF | Trust, company or other | £96,806 | £93,422 | |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | National Lottery | £81,169 | £96,622 | |
| Home Office | UK Government | £79,179 | ||
| AB Charitable Trust | Trust, company or other | £53,999 | ||
| Community Foundation Wales | Other public body | £50,487 | £49,776 | £49,792 |
| The Waterloo Foundation | Trust, company or other | £30,000 | ||
| Play Project | Trust, company or other | £24,491 | £29,000 | |
| The National Lottery | National Lottery | £19,997 | ||
| Comic Relief | Trust, company or other | £18,667 | £23,456 | £37,167 |
| Wales Council for Voluntary Action | Other public body | £16,434 | £32,251 | £22,251 |
| Masonic Foundation | Trust, company or other | £6,200 | ||
| Garfield Western | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | £39,500 | £33,000 |
| Platffom Wellbeing | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | ||
| National Grid | Trust, company or other | £4,999 | £9,998 | £9,958 |
| Admiral | Trust, company or other | £3,644 | £15,240 | £45,936 |
| Migrant Help | Trust, company or other | £125,389 | £43,001 | |
| RCT Service Level Agreement | Trust, company or other | £38,794 | £48,497 | |
| IKEA | Trust, company or other | £18,002 | £47,630 | |
| GwentTNLCF | Trust, company or other | £65,328 | ||
| BBC Children in need | Trust, company or other | £28,963 | £31,693 | |
| The BlueThread | Trust, company or other | £50,000 | ||
| CAF Project | Trust, company or other | £38,068 | ||
| WCVATSRF | Trust, company or other | £26,129 | ||
| Wales and West | Trust, company or other | £10,000 | £7,816 | |
| Arts Council for Wales | Trust, company or other | £10,780 | ||
| Traumatic Stress | Trust, company or other | £10,000 | ||
| Refugee Action | Trust, company or other | £8,897 | ||
| Award for All | Trust, company or other | £5,388 | ||
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | ||
| LandAid | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | ||
| DWP Kickstart | Trust, company or other | £4,341 | ||
| Race Council Cymru | Council | £2,667 |
Grants awarded to it, published on 360Giving
Funders that publish to 360Giving list 30 grants to this charity since 2004, worth at least £2,776,466.
By funder
- The National Lottery Community Fund£1,480,706, 9 grants
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund£235,861, 1 grant
- Comic Relief£229,653, 1 grant
- CAF£162,273, 1 grant
- A B Charitable Trust£158,999, 7 grants
- BBC Children in Need£156,839, 3 grants
- Community Foundation in Wales£149,555, 1 grant
- Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales£135,080, 4 grants
- Freemasons' Charity£53,000, 1 grant
- The Clothworkers' Foundation£9,500, 1 grant
- SHAREGIFT£5,000, 1 grant
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2026 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £499,947 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £19,978 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | A B Charitable Trust | £40,000 |
| 16 Oct 2025 | A B Charitable Trust | £25,000 |
| 17 Mar 2025 | A B Charitable Trust | £25,000 |
| 25 Sept 2024 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £19,997 |
| 19 Aug 2024 | A B Charitable Trust | £3,999 |
| 18 Jul 2024 | Freemasons' Charity | £53,000 |
| 18 Mar 2024 | SHAREGIFT | £5,000 |
| 8 Feb 2024 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £235,861 |
All 30 grants
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2023 | A B Charitable Trust | £25,000 |
| 17 Jan 2023 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £5,388 |
| 20 Oct 2022 | BBC Children in Need | £500 |
| 6 Sept 2022 | Community Foundation in Wales | £149,555 |
| 3 Feb 2022 | BBC Children in Need | £60,656 |
| 16 Nov 2021 | CAF | £162,273 |
| 22 Apr 2021 | A B Charitable Trust | £20,000 |
| 22 Jun 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £9,882 |
| 27 Jan 2020 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £47,940 |
| 13 Dec 2019 | The Clothworkers' Foundation | £9,500 |
| 28 Feb 2019 | BBC Children in Need | £95,683 |
| 3 Jul 2018 | A B Charitable Trust | £20,000 |
| 28 Nov 2017 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £47,940 |
| 28 Sept 2016 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £908,026 |
| 27 Jan 2016 | Comic Relief | £229,653 |
| 4 Nov 2015 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £9,750 |
| 28 Mar 2013 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £14,200 |
| 21 Oct 2010 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,876 |
| 19 May 2010 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £25,000 |
| 16 Nov 2004 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £2,862 |
Payments from public bodies, from their spending data
Public bodies' published spending shows 65 payments to this charity worth £5,587,185 between 21 January 2021 and 25 June 2026.
| Public body | Paid | Payments | Financial years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Government | £5,587,185 | 65 | 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26, 2026/27 |
In council meetings
Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.
25 March 2026, Vale of Glamorgan
Named in an agenda item or minute of Resources Scrutiny Committee
Task and Finish Review on Countering Misinformation.
2 December 2024, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Community Services Scrutiny Committee
Children's Residential Strategy
30 March 2023, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Council
Cabinet Statements
12 December 2022, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee
Cardiff Council's Support for Asylum Seekers & Refugees
27 October 2022, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Council
Lord Mayor's Announcements
In the Senedd and Welsh Government
Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.
5 August 2026
Named in a written question from Cai Parry-Jones
Addressed to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
How much funding does the Welsh Refugee Council receive as part of its Welsh Government contract to deliver the Wales Sanctuary Service? The Welsh Refugee Council has been allocated £840,000 (including VAT) for the current financial year (2026-2027) to lead delivery of the Wales Sanctuary Service.
29 July 2026
Named in a written question from Dan Thomas
Addressed to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
…the Welsh Government will continue to fund the Awards going forward? The Nation of Sanctuary Awards 2026 were organised and funded by the Welsh Refugee Council. The Welsh Government does not hold information on the total cost of the event. As part of the Welsh Government’s contract with the Welsh R…
17 July 2026
Named in a written question from Andrew RT Davies
Addressed to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
…funding or sponsorship it provided for the Nation of Sanctuary Awards on 15 June 2026? As part of the Welsh Government’s contract with the Welsh Refugee Council to deliver the Wales Sanctuary Service, £2,596 plus VAT was allocated to the Nation of Sanctuary Awards. The Welsh Government did not provi…
24 June 2026
Named by Heledd Fychan in the Senedd
…e do have a tradition of people making their homes here and then becoming an integral part of our community. I saw a video recently by the Welsh Refugee Council that was about a family in Pontypridd, the Orsi family. They have been here for generations and are an integral part of the character of th…
16 June 2026
Named by Anthony Slaughter in the Senedd
On this, last night, I had the privilege of attending the Welsh Refugee Council's nation of sanctuary awards. Here, I heard stories from inspiring individuals from several countries, of people who, despite having escaped great hardship, have thrown themselves into helping others in their local commu…
27 May 2026
Named in a written question from Andrew RT Davies
Addressed to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
What due diligence did the Welsh Government carry out on the Welsh Refugee Council before deciding to fund the organisation? As part of assessing applications for Welsh Government funding, a range of due diligence checks are undertaken, including financial and governance checks.
10 May 2026
Named in a registered interest of Matthew Jones, Member of the Senedd
Category: Voluntary record of Members’ other interests.
Information relevant to entry: Ticket worth £65 to the Nation of Sanctuary Awards on 15 June 2026 from the Welsh Refugee Council.
2 March 2026
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…share this with the committee. It's gone to all third sector organisations, because we know, for example—. I can give you one example, the Welsh Refugee Council, because of their support for the nation of sanctuary. We fund the Welsh Refugee Council, and I'm proud to fund them, and I will continue a…
14 January 2026
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…hink colleagues will remember we met with them before Christmas and what the message was—and I'm proud that the Welsh Government funds the Welsh Refugee Council—from Sanctuary Coalition Cymru is that sanctuary works for Wales. As they shared with us, why does it work for Wales? Why does it work for…
3 December 2025
Named by Jenny Rathbone in the Senedd
…lematic, but of a different order to the discord that's caused by inequality. And the events that took place in my constituency, where the Welsh Refugee Council had to close in order to protect staff and the users and the general community—I mean, these are really disturbing events, and we need to r…
3 December 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…for all third sector organisations who are targeted by hate and harassment in Wales. I recall the Sanctuary in the Senedd event, when the Welsh Refugee Council said, 'Stability for people, strength for Wales.' I think that sums up what we're looking for in terms of Wales being a welcoming place for…
3 December 2025
Named by Jane Dodds in the Senedd
…ny of us in this Siambr can testify to that. But if we look at organisations representing refugees and asylum seekers, we can see that the Welsh Refugee Council, for example, had to close its doors for three days because of targeted online abuse—not because of any external security threat, but becau…
27 November 2025
Named by Yr Athro Uzo Iwobi in the Senedd
…information. And I think one example that has really worked is when there were a lot of fears about the incident that was happening to the Welsh Refugee Council. Immediately, the Welsh Government provided community groups with a guidance document that gave them hints and tips on how to dispel and bu…
22 November 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Cyngor Ffoaduriad Cymru / Welsh Refugee Council.
Cyngor Ffoaduriad Cymru / Welsh Refugee Council
12 November 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Cyngor Ffoaduriad Cymru / Welsh Refugee Council.
Cyngor Ffoaduriad Cymru / Welsh Refugee Council
22 October 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…les'. It is quite right that sanctuary works for Wales in terms of the contribution and the values of Wales. I also think, in terms of the Welsh Refugee Council, which we are very proud to fund to help with the delivery of that integration, which is so important, as I've said, of those who come and…
22 October 2025
Named by John Griffiths in the Senedd
…inet Secretary, it was good to see you at the sanctuary that works for Wales event earlier, organised by Sanctuary Coalition Cymru and the Welsh Refugee Council, and they are rightly concerned at the spreading of misinformation and hate and how poisonous and divisive that is for our communities. I'm…
15 October 2025
Named by Julie James in the Senedd
…nto the areas that women don't normally get into, and, of course, it continues to work closely, as the Chair acknowledged, with Oasis, the Welsh Refugee Council and the Muslim Council of Wales, to ensure inclusion is not an afterthought, it's fully embedded. Transport for Wales will work very hard t…
15 October 2025
Named by Llyr Gruffydd in the Senedd
…he gender pay gap. On wider diversity, the committee was encouraged to hear about TfW's partnerships with organisations such as Oasis, the Welsh Refugee Council and the Muslim Council of Wales, which are helping again to promote opportunities among underrepresented groups. The committee supports thi…
14 October 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
Thank you very much, John Griffiths. I am agreeing with you and knowing and being very proud that we fund the Welsh Refugee Council. We fund them to ensure that people are helped and integrated into our communities and society—that may be housing, it may be language, it may be care and support. I do…
14 October 2025
Named by John Griffiths in the Senedd
…own awareness of these matters, their own responsibility and their own empathy for vulnerable sections of our community, and, because the Welsh Refugee Council shares that video, the Welsh Refugee Council is then attacked and hindered in its ability to perform its very important duties and deliver…
2 September 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Welsh Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council & Refugee Council.
Welsh Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council & Refugee Council
26 June 2025
Named by Dr Ayla Cosh in the Senedd
…ere is the lack of data, the lack of co-ordinated collection, on this cohort of people. So, I've been to many partners in local authority, Welsh Refugee Council, Oasis, other third sector partners—no-one is holding all of that data at the moment. So, it's very difficult to tell what the actual numbe…
19 June 2025
Named by Gareth Lynn Montes in the Senedd
If I can add on that, at the Welsh Refugee Council, local connection was one of the areas we felt quite strongly about. We understand that sometimes local connection is used as essentially a rationing tool, but also that local authorities are under a lot of pressure, and we believed that special cir…
19 June 2025
Named by Gareth Lynn Montes in the Senedd
Yes, if I may add on to that last point, obviously we support at the Welsh Refugee Council a cohort of people who sometimes have barriers to accessing information, be they language ones or just knowledge of that thing. As I always say, if any of us here in the room were to go to a brand-new country,…
Showing the 25 most recent of 103 mentions.
Trustees
10 trustees run the charity.
- Dr Mohammad Alhadj AliChair
- Darren Carew
- Dr Michael Scott Evans
- Eanas Naas
- Harry Iles
- Jamie Braddock
- Jennifer Morgan
- Natalie Richards
- Stephen Burton
- Zoe Hilton
Filing record
Of the last 5 annual returns that were due, 5 arrived by the deadline.
| Year ending | Due | Annual return | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 31 January 2026 | Received 7 January 2026, 24 days early | Received 7 January 2026 |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | Received 9 January 2025, 22 days early | Received 9 January 2025 |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | Received 20 December 2023, 42 days early | Received 20 December 2023 |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | Received 21 December 2022, 41 days early | Received 21 December 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Received 24 January 2022, 7 days early | Received 24 January 2022 |
About this charity
- Charity number
- 1102449
- Status
- Registered
- Registered with the Commission
- 3 March 2004
- Governing document
- MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 02/07/2013AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 01/10/2004AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 18/02/2005AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 06/04/2005AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 10/12/2008AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 05/02/2016AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 30 MAR 2017 as amended on 18 May 2023
- Company number
- 04818136This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House
- Website
- www.welshrefugeecouncil.org.uk
- Council area of its contact address
- Cardiff
Sources
- Register details, income, spending, trustees and filing dates: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities. Loaded by OpenEconomy on 2 November 2026.
- Funding from accounts: the charity's filed accounts, read by OpenEconomy's AI accounts reader on 1 November 2026.
- Grants awarded: 360Giving open grants data, from funders that publish there. Loaded by OpenEconomy on 2 November 2026.
- Payments from public bodies: each body's own published spending data, matched to the charity by OpenEconomy. 5 public bodies' data is included so far.
- In council meetings: councils' published meeting records, gathered by OpenCouncil and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 4 November 2026.
- In the Senedd and Welsh Government: records gathered by OpenSenedd and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 5 November 2026.
Elsewhere in the Edau family
- OpenCouncil: council records that name this charity
- OpenSenedd: Senedd records that name this charity
- OpenCouncil: Cardiff Council's meetings and decisions
- OpenEconomy: Cardiff's economy in figures
- OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf
- OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Caerdydd Penarth