Voices From Care Cymru
What it does
To advance the spiritual, educational and physical welfare of children in and from care by involving them in the decision making process and improving the effectiveness of services to them. To form forums of young people in and from care to provide them with advice and support in dealing with their problems, education and seaking employment. To increase their self esteem & confidence.
Its charitable purposes
TO ADVANCE THE SPIRITUAL, EDUCATIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELFARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN WALES WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN LOOKED AFTER BY A LOCAL AUTHORITY OR A VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION BY:A) ANY MEANS THAT IS CHARITABLE;B) INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS;C) IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SERVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN WALES.
Causes
- What it works on
- General charitable purposes
- Who it helps
- Children and young people
- How it works
- Provides services
- Provides advocacy, advice or information
- Sponsors or carries out research
Where it works
- In Wales
- Throughout Wales
Area of benefit in its governing document: Wales
Income and spending
In the year ending 31 March 2025, it had income of £870,055 and spent £1,092,464.
| Year ending | Income | Spending | Paid staff | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £870,055 | £1,092,464 | 21 | 15 |
| 31 March 2024 | £949,646 | £1,029,942 | 21 | 15 |
| 31 March 2023 | £1,001,830 | £802,902 | 18 | 16 |
| 31 March 2022 | £865,927 | £709,605 | 18 | 16 |
| 31 March 2021 | £824,159 | £690,345 | 18 | 16 |
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 6%, from £824,159 in the year to 31 March 2021 to £870,055 in the year to 31 March 2025.
- Spending against income
- It spent 126% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025. It spent more than its income in 2 of the 5 years shown.
- Largest funder
- Welsh Government gave £464,063 in the year to 31 March 2025, 53% of that year's income.
Government funding, as the charity reported it
Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2025: £396,016 from 2 grants. Government contracts: Not reported.
| Year ending | Government grants | Government contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £396,016 from 2 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2024 | £505,922 from 2 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2023 | £544,041 from 2 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2022 | £515,834 from 6 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2021 | £441,960 from 2 grants | Not reported |
Where its income came from in the year ending 31 March 2025
- Donations and legacies£21,460
- Charitable activities, including grants and contracts for its work£847,646
- Investments£949
Who funds it, according to its accounts
In its accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025, the charity named 13 funders who gave £802,233 between them. £532,999 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 | £464,063 | £505,922 | £544,041 |
| BBC Children in Need | Trust, company or other | £122,000 | £112,000 | £76,000 |
| The Esme Fairbairn Foundation | Trust, company or other | £80,000 | ||
| National Lottery Shine that Light Again | National Lottery | £54,568 | ||
| Charles Hayward Foundation Grant | Trust, company or other | £25,000 | ||
| The Henry Smith Charity | Trust, company or other | £19,150 | £55,450 | £49,650 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | National Lottery | £14,368 | £131,051 | £161,084 |
| British & Foreign School Society | Trust, company or other | £14,334 | £28,905 | £14,570 |
| 5NIV Funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation | Trust, company or other | £8,750 | £8,750 | |
| Wales Council for Voluntary Action | Other public body | £31,005 | ||
| Lloyds Bank Foundation | Trust, company or other | £26,370 | ||
| Erasmus+ | Trust, company or other | £18,796 | ||
| The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation | Trust, company or other | £13,350 |
Grants awarded to it, published on 360Giving
Funders that publish to 360Giving list 23 grants to this charity since 2015, worth at least £2,153,024.
By funder
- The National Lottery Community Fund£951,773, 7 grants
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation£476,500, 3 grants
- Henry Smith Foundation£195,000, 2 grants
- Comic Relief£185,850, 2 grants
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation£123,500, 3 grants
- Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales£87,810, 3 grants
- Educational Opportunity Foundation£87,591, 1 grant
- KPMG Foundation£25,000, 1 grant
- CHK Foundation£20,000, 1 grant
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 2025 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £19,700 |
| 20 Mar 2025 | KPMG Foundation | £25,000 |
| 30 Sept 2024 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £400,186 |
| 8 May 2024 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £250,000 |
| 30 Jan 2024 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £14,368 |
| 14 Dec 2022 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £2,250 |
| 18 May 2022 | Educational Opportunity Foundation | £87,591 |
| 11 Mar 2022 | Henry Smith Foundation | £110,100 |
| 11 Jan 2022 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £10,000 |
| 24 Sept 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £493,789 |
All 23 grants
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 2020 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £26,500 |
| 3 Apr 2020 | Paul Hamlyn Foundation | £20,000 |
| 17 Mar 2020 | CHK Foundation | £20,000 |
| 3 Jul 2019 | Comic Relief | £48,750 |
| 13 May 2019 | Paul Hamlyn Foundation | £53,500 |
| 13 Mar 2019 | Henry Smith Foundation | £84,900 |
| 16 Oct 2018 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £72,360 |
| 11 Feb 2018 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £8,900 |
| 24 Jan 2018 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £200,000 |
| 27 Sept 2017 | Comic Relief | £137,100 |
| 8 May 2017 | Paul Hamlyn Foundation | £50,000 |
| 17 Apr 2016 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,830 |
| 16 Dec 2015 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £13,200 |
In council meetings
Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.
22 January 2024, Cardiff
Named in a decision of Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee
Voices from Care Cymru Update
6 November 2023, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee
Forward Work Programme
22 June 2023, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Cabinet
Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Annual Report 2022-2023
15 May 2023, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Annual Report 2022/23
26 January 2023, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
Participation Update for Care Experienced Children and Young People
18 October 2022, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
Participation Update For Care Experienced Children and Young People and Voices from Care Cymru Update
15 March 2022, Cardiff
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee
Voices from Care Cymru Update
14 March 2022, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
RCT Forum Quarterly Report
31 January 2022, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
Welcome
29 November 2021, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
Welcome
29 November 2021, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
RCT Forum Annual Summary Report
29 November 2021, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Named in an agenda item or minute of Corporate Parenting Board
Children Looked After Website
In the Senedd and Welsh Government
Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.
14 July 2026
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: DMSCMHWH
Purpose: Gofalwyr Ifanc a Lleisiau o Ofal Cymru / Young Carers and Voices from Care Cymru.
Gofalwyr Ifanc a Lleisiau o Ofal Cymru / Young Carers and Voices from Care Cymru
3 February 2026
Named by Rhys ab Owen in the Senedd
…fyn am brotocolau ar gyfer ymdrin ag achosion sy'n ymwneud â phobl sy'n gadael gofal a phobl sydd ag angen arbennig am gymorth. Croesawodd Voices from Care Cymru ac End Youth Homelessness Cymru y protocolau ar y cyd gyda gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, ond galwodd ar Lywodraeth Cymru i orfodi arfer da a…
22 November 2025
Named by Elliott Louis James in the Senedd
Hi, I'm Elliott. I represent Voices from Care Cymru, which is a partner organisation. My question is directed at the children's commissioner: how are you going to ensure that the Welsh Government do take action and do not just listen to us, but hear us and our views as a Youth Parliament? I also hav…
19 June 2025
Named by John Griffiths in the Senedd
Okay, item 6, then, our sixth evidence session on the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill. I’m very pleased to welcome, joining us here in person, Helen Mary Jones, deputy chief executive of Voices From Care Cymru.
19 June 2025
Named by Helen Mary Jones in the Senedd
Thank you very much, Chair, and thank you for the opportunity to give evidence. On the whole, Voices From Care Cymru welcome the legislation, but we do have some concerns, and those concerns centre, really, around the implementation gap, and some of the issues around how we can ensure that this legi…
22 February 2025
Named by Elliott Louis James in the Senedd
…t. I'm 15 years old and I love science, youth club and going out with my mates, but I am also a care-experienced young person. I represent Voices from Care Cymru, a charity run by and for care-experienced children and young people, which is also a partner organisation to the Welsh Youth Parliament.…
15 October 2024
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…would like to pay tribute to those organisations who facilitated this along our journey to children and young people's full participation. Voices from Care Cymru and Children in Wales are playing a key role to support us in getting that engagement. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch o gyflwyno ein…
10 July 2024
Named by Sam Rowlands in the Senedd
…are, as we continue to consider the Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill. I just want to provide a welcome. I can see Helen Mary Jones from Voices from Care Cymru; Sharon Lovell, the chief executive of NYAS Cymru; Rachel Thomas, head of policy and public affairs, Children’s Commissioner for Wales; an…
10 July 2024
Named by Helen Mary Jones in the Senedd
…r now. And I would repeat the point on the corporate parenting charter. You heard from some of the young people who have been working with Voices from Care Cymru that they're a bit sceptical about the attitude of some local authorities in Wales. They are very pleased with some of the things that the…
10 July 2024
Named by Helen Mary Jones in the Senedd
…mments are based on what young people have told us, both before the previous Senedd election—because this was a call in the manifesto that Voices from Care Cymru presented on behalf of care-experienced children and young people before the previous Senedd election—. So, this is for our young people.…
4 June 2024
Named by Dawn Bowden in the Senedd
…ate sector and local authority providers are all part of the eliminate programme board, along with the children's commissioner, along with Voices from Care Cymru, along with service commissioners, trade unions—they're all on that board and have all been feeding into the development of the provisions…
21 May 2024
Named by Dawn Bowden in the Senedd
…there are third sector providers, there is the local authority that sits on that board, the children's commissioner, a representative from Voices from Care Cymru, who are in the gallery today, we have trade unions there, we have the service commissioners, all sat around the table working through how…
16 May 2024
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Min SC
Purpose: Voices from Care Cymru.
Voices from Care Cymru
26 April 2024
Named by David Rees in the Senedd
…mind, we'll move on to the first evidence session. Can I welcome young people and care-experienced people in to us today from Barnardo's, Voices from Care Cymru and National Youth Advocacy Service Cymru? Welcome. And I know that you had an input into the work done by the Children, Young People and…
24 October 2023
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…rienced young people who we met as we developed the policy, before we implemented the basic income pilot initiative. I remember meeting in Voices From Care Cymru one Saturday morning care-experienced young people who wouldn't have benefited from the pilot—obviously, they'd moved on in their lives—bu…
24 October 2023
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…de. How well the pilot is progressing to date reflects the strength of our collaborative approach with local authority leaving care teams, Voices from Care Cymru, Citizens Advice Cymru, carers, families and friends, and many other advocacy groups and service providers. I’d like to put on record my t…
17 May 2023
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…oung people involved in the pilot. And, of course, we have much engagement support around those young people—local authority stakeholders, Voices from Care Cymru, Citizens Advice partners—helping and supporting our young people in terms of overcoming challenges. But also, just from our experience of…
9 March 2023
Named by Julie Morgan in the Senedd
…birthday, up to the age of 21, or up to the age of 25 if they're completing an agreed programme of education or training. And since 2018, Voices from Care Cymru have received funding via the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to understand how When I am Ready is delivered and embedded within leaving care s…
24 February 2023
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: DM for SS
Purpose: Voices From Care Cymru.
Voices From Care Cymru
2 February 2023
Named by Emma Phipps-Magill in the Senedd
Really quickly, going back a bit, Voices from Care Cymru has an advisory group that has been working really, really closely with Welsh Government officials in regard to the development and the roll-out and what's needed. So, they were there from the very, very beginning of its discussions and its im…
2 February 2023
Named by Emma Phipps-Magill in the Senedd
…on, I absolutely agree in regards to the strides for independent advocacy in Wales and what's happened. I think, from our recent work with Voices from Care Cymru, with the summit and the consultations across Wales that we've undertaken, for some young people, the implementation of the active offer,…
28 June 2022
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…In addition to the individual financial advice provided to recipients of the basic income, we're working with other organisations, such as Voices from Care Cymru and the UK Government Money and Pensions Service, to deliver more holistic advice around money management, education, training and well-be…
28 June 2022
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…'s pre pilot through to post pilot as well. So, the funding is there to fund the organisations that actually have responsibility, as we do Voices from Care Cymru and all those who currently support our young people. But also, as I've said, it's the role of local authorities to support them as well.…
13 June 2022
Named by Julie Morgan in the Senedd
…s. So, I'm really looking forward to that, to hearing directly from them, and we're working with our partners, including Voices from Care. Voices from Care Cymru are helping us to organise that summit, so that will be a maximum, great opportunity to hear the views of care-experienced young people. S…
10 May 2022
Named by Jack Sargeant in the Senedd
…nd child placement. Now, as part of my commitment to engage the committee with the Welsh public, I and my colleague Buffy Williams visited Voices From Care Cymru and met care-experienced parents to hear directly from them. One individual told us about the interaction they had with their social worke…
Showing the 25 most recent of 38 mentions.
Trustees
9 trustees run the charity.
- Catriona Ann WilliamsChair
- Aimee Lesauteur
- Craig Anthony Mead
- Georgia Toman
- Graham Roddis
- Ian Harvey
- Jeffery Champney-Smith
- Melissa Noot
- Roger Bishop
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 22 December 2025, 40 days early | Received 22 December 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | Received 3 January 2025, 28 days early | Received 3 January 2025 |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | Received 23 January 2024, 8 days early | Received 23 January 2024 |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | Received 12 January 2023, 19 days early | Received 12 January 2023 |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Received 6 January 2022, 25 days early | Received 6 January 2022 |
About this charity
- Charity number
- 1108430
- Status
- Registered
- Registered with the Commission
- 4 March 2005
- Governing document
- MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 10 OCTOBER 1996 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 5 JUNE 2004 AND 15 MAY 2010. as amended on 05 May 2020
- Company number
- 03261608This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House
- Website
- vfcc.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.
- 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