Awen Cultural Trust

Our activities centre around making people's lives better by providing space and opportunity for people to enjoy vibrant cultural experience that inspire and enhance their sense of wellbeing.

In the charity's own words, from the register.

Elsewhere

• Throughout England and Wales

The places the charity told the Commission it works in.

In the year ending 31 March 2025, it had income of £7,087,906 and spent £7,486,335.

Figures as the charity reported them to the Charity Commission. Staff and volunteer numbers are only asked of charities with income over £10,000. A year with no row was not reported.

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 35%, from £5,250,633 in the year to 31 March 2021 to £7,087,906 in the year to 31 March 2025.

Spending against income

It spent 106% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025. It spent more than its income in 3 of the 5 years shown.

Money from government

67% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025 came from government grants and contracts (£4,730,659).

Largest funder

ACW gave £260,500 in the year to 31 March 2024, 3% of that year's income.Read by AI from the charity's accounts.

From the annual returns the charity filed with the Charity Commission. The largest funder comes from its accounts, read by AI.

Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2025: £717,443 from 4 grants. Government contracts: £4,013,216 from 3 contracts.

From the charity's annual return to the Charity Commission, which asks every charity with income over £10,000 how much came from government grants and contracts. It does not say which part of government. These totals are separate from the named funders read from its accounts and the grants published on 360Giving, and are not added to them.

In its accounts for the year ending 31 March 2024, the charity named 12 funders who gave £781,413 between them. £501,572 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.

Only funding the accounts name with an amount is included. Most charities also have income from donations, fees and trading that is not listed by funder, so this is part of its income.

Funders that publish to 360Giving list 8 grants to this charity since 2016, worth at least £394,241.

Only funders that publish their grants to 360Giving are included, and many do not. These are amounts funders awarded, which can differ from what the charity received in a given year, so they are shown apart from the accounts figures above.

Public bodies' published spending shows 15 payments to this charity worth £674,390 between 1 February 2021 and 16 March 2026.

Councils and Welsh Government publish what they pay suppliers and grant holders above a threshold, usually £500 for councils and £25,000 for Welsh Government, so smaller payments are missing. A payment is shown only when OpenEconomy matched it to this charity with certainty. These figures come from the payer's records. They are a separate measure from the charity's own accounts, 360Giving grants and its annual return, and are never added to them.

Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.

• 22 January 2026, Rhondda Cynon Taf

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Strategic Culture and Arts Steering Group

  Y Muni

  Read the meeting record

• 16 January 2025, Rhondda Cynon Taf

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Strategic Culture and Arts Steering Group

  Y Muni

  Read the meeting record

• 15 January 2025, Rhondda Cynon Taf

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  Members' Questions

  Read the meeting record

• 17 January 2024, Rhondda Cynon Taf

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  Members' Questions

  Read the meeting record

• 18 October 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  Presentation to Council by the Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  Declarations of Interest

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements from:

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive the following Questions from:

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Elaine Winstanley declared an interest that names the charity, at Council

  Capital Programme Update Quarter 1 2023-24

  Recorded as a personal interest.

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Elaine Winstanley declared an interest that names the charity, at Council

  Corporate Plan Delivery Plan 2023-24 and Performance Framework

  Recorded as a personal interest.

  Read the meeting record

• 19 July 2023, Bridgend

  Elaine Winstanley declared an interest that names the charity, at Council

  To receive the following Questions from:

  Recorded as a prejudicial interest.

  Read the meeting record

• 21 June 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements from:

  Read the meeting record

• 27 April 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Governance and Audit Committee

  Anti Tax Evasion Policy

  Read the meeting record

• 15 March 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive the following Questions from:

  Read the meeting record

• 1 March 2023, Bridgend

  E Winstanley declared an interest that names the charity, at Council

  Corporate Plan 2023-28

  Recorded as a personal interest.

  Read the meeting record

• 1 March 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  Declarations of Interest

  Read the meeting record

• 8 February 2023, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements from:

  Read the meeting record

• 19 October 2022, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements by the Leader

  Read the meeting record

• 26 September 2022, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Communities, Environment and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Formerly Subject Overview & Scrutiny Committee 3)

  Levelling Up Fund Priority Projects

  Read the meeting record

• 20 July 2022, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements by the Leader

  Read the meeting record

• 18 July 2022, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Communities, Environment and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Formerly Subject Overview & Scrutiny Committee 3)

  Forward Work Programme Update

  Read the meeting record

• 14 February 2022, Rhondda Cynon Taf

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Strategic Culture and Arts Steering Group

  An update on the progress of the Muni

  Read the meeting record

• 15 December 2021, Bridgend

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Council

  To receive announcements from:

  Read the meeting record

We count a mention only when the record gives the charity's full registered name or its charity number. A mention shows the charity was named in that record. Follow the link to read what the record says.

Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.

• 7 February 2024

  Named by Dawn Bowden in the Senedd

  …wl, and of course the Blaengarw miners' institute, which I visited with you last year. Amongst all of that, of course, you have the amazing Awen Cultural Trust that is working to deliver the kind of goals that we're seeking to deliver through our cultural support to develop the Well-being of Future…

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• 10 January 2024

  Named by Huw Irranca-Davies in the Senedd

  …le all these decisions were made. Minister, you recently made a visit to groups in my constituency, including the Blaengarw Workmen's Hall, Awen Cultural Trust. We also have Tanio, who invest significantly in community arts, with support of the arm's-length organisation the Arts Council of Wales. We…

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• 24 May 2023

  Named by Joel James in the Senedd

  …se. The final question that I have is on something that was brought up, again, in previous evidence sessions. If I remember rightly, it was Awen Cultural Trust who brought it up, about a lack of awareness of what financial support is out there in terms of helping to decarbonise. And I was just wonde…

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• 4 May 2023

  Named by Joel James in the Senedd

  …t, then, for council cuts', because it isn't defined properly what it's meant to be. I know some other evidence we've taken, where—. It was Awen Cultural Trust, that, basically, said that the Welsh public library standards need a whole revamp. I just wanted to get your thoughts on that, because you'…

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• 29 March 2023

  Named by John Griffiths in the Senedd

  …nd leisure services in Wales. I'm very pleased to welcome—joining us here in the committee room, we have Richard Hughes, chief executive of Awen Cultural Trust. Welcome to you, Richard. Joining virtually, we have Mark Sesnan and Diana Edmonds of Greenwich Leisure Limited (Better); we have Sara Mogel…

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• 29 March 2023

  Named by Richard Hughes in the Senedd

  The experience that I have, and we have as Awen Cultural Trust, is that the local authorities that we work with do. And that isn't a coincidence; we will only work with local authorities that do put a value on and understand outcome-driven partnerships. So, we're not driven by market share, but what…

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• 23 March 2023

  Named by Glenn Bowen in the Senedd

  …a lot easier when the library was linked to something else, when there was an economic potential model there that included the library—and Awen Cultural Trust is a good example of that—by putting libraries and culture and theatres together. And I know, for lots of those smaller single libraries—I'm…

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• 23 March 2023

  Named by Glenn Bowen in the Senedd

  …er impact from an economic development perspective. But some of those larger ones out there, there are examples now, and if we use one like Awen Cultural Trust—. I'm not sure if you're going to be talking to Richard as part of the evidence—

  Read the record

• 13 July 2022

  Named by Rebecca Evans in the Senedd

  …a great example of that would be Bridgend, where Maesteg Town Hall and the operation of libraries in the area have been transferred to the Awen Cultural Trust. So, that's one example, but, as Carolyn says, there are different approaches. We do have guidance, but not every local authority has its ow…

  Read the record

We count a mention only when the record gives the charity's full registered name or its charity number. A mention shows the charity was named in that record. Follow the link to read it in full.

8 trustees run the charity.

• Ava PlowrightChairAppointed 1 June 2021
• Carly McCreeshAppointed 10 June 2025
• Dawn SmithAppointed 11 September 2024
• Kathryn WarrenAppointed 10 June 2025
• Noel ThomasAppointed 11 November 2022
• Robert EvansAppointed 12 September 2024
• Salinder LehalAppointed 10 March 2026
• Stuart BainAppointed 8 November 2022

Trustees are responsible in law for the charity. Names are as they appear on the public register.

Of the last 5 annual returns that were due, 4 arrived by the deadline.

Charities with income over £10,000 send an annual return within 10 months of their year end, and those over £25,000 also send their accounts. Smaller charities only update their income and spending on the register. The dates are when the Commission received each document.

Charity number

1166908

Status

Registered

Registered with the Commission

4 May 2016

Governing document

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 27 MAY 2015 as amended on 27 Oct 2022

Company number

09610991This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House

Website

www.awen-wales.comAs the charity gave it on the register.

Council area of its contact address

Bridgend

• 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.

• This charity on the Charity Commission register
• Its accounts and annual returns on the register
• 360Giving open grants data
• This charity on OpenEconomy

• OpenCouncil: council records that name this charity
• OpenSenedd: Senedd records that name this charity
• OpenCouncil: Bridgend Council's meetings and decisions
• OpenEconomy: Bridgend's economy in figures
• OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Afan Ogwr Rhondda
• OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg