Wales Council for Voluntary Action
What it does
WCVA is the national membership organisation for voluntary organisations in Wales. WCVA promotes volunteering, good governance, sustainability and engagement by providing information, training, advice and support to charities, voluntary and community groups & social enterprises. WCVA manages several grant & loan schemes.
Its charitable purposes
TO PROMOTE, IN SUCH MANNER AS SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH CHARITY COMMISSIONPUBLISHED GUIDANCE FROM TIME TO TIME AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN WALES, THEVOLUNTARY SECTOR AND THE PROMOTION OF CHARITABLE PURPOSES THROUGH THAT SECTOR'SPROVISION OF BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, BY:PROVIDING SERVICES, EDUCATION, TRAINING, INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT TO CHARITIESAND OTHER VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN WALES;4.2 TO ADVANCE OTHER SUCH OBJECTS OR PURPOSES WHICH ARE EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLEACCORDING TO THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD AND IN SUCHMANNER AS THE DIRECTORS MAY IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION THINK FIT.
Causes
- What it works on
- General charitable purposes
- Who it helps
- Other charities and voluntary bodies
- How it works
- Makes grants to organisations
- Provides other finance
- Provides advocacy, advice or information
- Sponsors or carries out research
- Acts as an umbrella or resource body
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 £36,614,642 and spent £34,629,373.
| Year ending | Income | Spending | Paid staff | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £36,614,642 | £34,629,373 | 79 | 47 |
| 31 March 2024 | £33,223,612 | £29,270,062 | 79 | 54 |
| 31 March 2023 | £35,015,959 | £33,230,639 | 105 | 84 |
| 31 March 2022 | £39,010,559 | £35,513,720 | 108 | 42 |
| 31 March 2021 | £50,951,056 | £49,662,968 | 100 | 43 |
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
- Down 28%, from £50,951,056 in the year to 31 March 2021 to £36,614,642 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.
- Largest funder
- Welsh Government gave £32,779,783 in the year to 31 March 2025, 90% of that year's income.
Government funding, as the charity reported it
Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2025: £32,600,272 from 12 grants. Government contracts: Not reported.
| Year ending | Government grants | Government contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £32,600,272 from 12 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2024 | Not reported | Not reported |
| 31 March 2023 | Not reported | Not reported |
Where its income came from in the year ending 31 March 2025
- Charitable activities, including grants and contracts for its work£34,269,796
- Trading and fundraising£911,187
- Investments£1,433,659
Who funds it, according to its accounts
In its accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025, the charity named 16 funders who gave £33,826,553 between them. £32,943,436 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 | £32,779,783 | £27,512,701 | £31,496,475 |
| Charities Aid Foundation | Trust, company or other | £339,741 | £43,206 | £43,672 |
| Moondance Foundation | Trust, company or other | £247,074 | £51,000 | |
| Comic Relief | Trust, company or other | £124,814 | £137,993 | £1,022,080 |
| Sport Wales | Other public body | £101,396 | £82,465 | £83,422 |
| National Heritage Fund | Trust, company or other | £82,903 | £116,599 | £99,417 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | National Lottery | £58,323 | ||
| Macmillan Cancer Support | Trust, company or other | £54,048 | £64,921 | £10,587 |
| Cwmpas | Trust, company or other | £13,521 | £11,055 | |
| Cardiff University | Trust, company or other | £9,261 | £11,531 | £19,902 |
| University of South Wales | Trust, company or other | £6,415 | £6,415 | £6,512 |
| Promo | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | £5,000 | |
| Wales Council for Voluntary Action | Other public body | £3,934 | £3,501 | |
| Wales Funders Forum | Trust, company or other | £170 | £199 | £326 |
| Legal Education Foundation | Trust, company or other | £170 | ||
| Human Rights Consortium | Trust, company or other | £43,000 | ||
| Social Investment ASDA Fund | Trust, company or other | £42,718 | ||
| Department for Work and Pensions | UK Government | £18,716 | ||
| The Wheel | Trust, company or other | £8,288 | £10,422 |
Grants it paid to others
| Recipient | Year ending | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pembrokeshire County Council | 31 March 2025 | £1,793,259 |
| Denbighshire County Council | 31 March 2025 | £1,026,597 |
| Gwynedd County Council | 31 March 2025 | £965,484 |
| Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations | 31 March 2025 | £899,760 |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | 31 March 2025 | £861,501 |
| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | 31 March 2025 | £788,400 |
| Neath Port Talbot Council | 31 March 2025 | £784,721 |
| Swansea Council | 31 March 2025 | £778,280 |
| Cardiff Council | 31 March 2025 | £753,606 |
| Powys County Council | 31 March 2025 | £744,734 |
| Carmarthenshire County Council | 31 March 2025 | £744,089 |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | 31 March 2025 | £693,750 |
| Ceredigion County Council | 31 March 2025 | £693,399 |
| Snowdonia National Park Authority | 31 March 2025 | £671,722 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | 31 March 2025 | £658,800 |
| Brecon Beacons National Park Authority | 31 March 2025 | £625,119 |
| Caerphilly County Borough Council | 31 March 2025 | £606,200 |
| Newport City Council | 31 March 2025 | £583,414 |
| Bridgend County Borough Council | 31 March 2025 | £575,564 |
| Flintshire County Council | 31 March 2025 | £561,884 |
Grants awarded to it, published on 360Giving
Funders that publish to 360Giving list 24 grants to this charity since 2005, worth at least £11,514,397.
By funder
- Comic Relief£6,000,000, 5 grants
- The National Lottery Community Fund£4,030,377, 8 grants
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund£901,657, 5 grants
- LEF£370,000, 2 grants
- Spirit of 2012£170,363, 1 grant
- A B Charitable Trust£25,000, 1 grant
- Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales£15,000, 1 grant
- Nesta£2,000, 1 grant
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul 2026 | A B Charitable Trust | £25,000 |
| 28 May 2026 | LEF | £215,000 |
| 20 Aug 2025 | Comic Relief | £350,000 |
| 29 Nov 2024 | LEF | £155,000 |
| 4 Sept 2024 | Comic Relief | £350,000 |
| 26 Jun 2023 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £58,323 |
| 23 Mar 2021 | Comic Relief | £1,000,000 |
| 7 May 2020 | Comic Relief | £2,150,000 |
| 9 Jan 2019 | Comic Relief | £2,150,000 |
| 13 Dec 2018 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £249,600 |
All 24 grants
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar 2018 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £9,900 |
| 26 Mar 2018 | Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales | £15,000 |
| 24 Nov 2017 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £9,900 |
| 1 Mar 2016 | Nesta | £2,000 |
| 10 Dec 2014 | Spirit of 2012 | £170,363 |
| 21 May 2013 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £631,800 |
| 2 Dec 2011 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £940,571 |
| 25 May 2011 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £247,930 |
| 28 Apr 2011 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £799,164 |
| 19 Nov 2010 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £728,146 |
| 26 Sept 2007 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £602,354 |
| 18 Jul 2006 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £646,389 |
| 4 Jul 2005 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £457 |
| 1 Jul 2005 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £7,500 |
In council meetings
Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.
13 March 2026, Denbighshire
Named in an agenda item or minute of Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee
CONTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SERVICES BOARD (PSB) PARTNERS TO THE WORK OF THE PSB AND THE BENEFITS OF THE PSB TO PARTNERS
21 July 2025, Swansea
Named in an agenda item or minute of Social Care & Tackling Poverty Service Transformation Committee
Swansea Council Volunteering Policy Development.
11 September 2023, Swansea
Named in an agenda item or minute of Social Care & Tackling Poverty Service Transformation Committee
Swansea Council Volunteering Policy Development.
15 December 2022, Denbighshire
Named in an agenda item or minute of Partnerships Scrutiny Committee
DENBIGHSHIRE VOLUNTARY SERVICES COUNCIL (DVSC)
5 December 2022, Pembrokeshire
Named in an agenda item or minute of Cabinet
Notice of Motion Relating to Grants Provided to Charities and Community Halls
In the Senedd and Welsh Government
Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.
22 October 2026
Named in a written question from John Clark
Addressed to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
…nd Africa programme has provided funding to the following organisations in this financial year: • Size of Wales • Hub Cymru Africa • Wales Council for Voluntary Action • Disasters Emergency Committee Cymru • Safe For Children
6 July 2026
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: DFMCMSJE
Purpose: Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce (CEO Wales Council for Voluntary Action).
Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce (CEO Wales Council for Voluntary Action)
2 June 2026
Named by Jayne Bryant in the Senedd
…third of the adult population volunteering. And we also know that many young people choose to give up their time to help others. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action have calculated that, last year, voluntary organisations saved the public sector around £1.4 billion, and their total contribution t…
10 February 2026
Named by Eluned Morgan in the Senedd
…ng more than £3.57 million directly into volunteering this year, and, as you say, that is an increase on previous years. Through the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, and the county voluntary councils, charities also receive targeted support, including grants that help young people lead change loc…
10 February 2026
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action
15 January 2026
Named by Mark Isherwood in the Senedd
Thank you. Developing the theme further, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action told us there is currently no standing mechanism that allows the Welsh Government to use trusted voluntary partners to distribute emergency funding quickly when emergencies or crises arise. What consideration, if any, ha…
15 January 2026
Named by Sioned Rees in the Senedd
…at we will be engaging with, yes. We did engage, as part of our inequalities cell, and also the work preparing for Pegasus, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, who are kind of the umbrella organisation. But we recognise that there's further work, further engagement that we want to do with o…
17 December 2025
Named by Rob Simkins in the Senedd
I'm just speaking for Carers Wales. It's difficult to speak for the whole sector. I know the Wales Council for Voluntary Action have some good stats on this, so I would recommend having a conversation with them as well. But we've been flat funded on the services that we deliver on behalf of the Wels…
11 December 2025
Named in a written question from Siân Gwenllian
Addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip.
…s (CVCs) across wales and is decided by a grant panel of young people. Third Sector Support Wales (TSSW) – a partnership between the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and the nineteen county voluntary councils across Wales – provides help and advice to the many thousands of third sector organisatio…
11 December 2025
Named in a written question from Siân Gwenllian
Addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip.
Why is the Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme, administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, closed to applications, and what other funding is available from the Welsh Government for volunteering? The Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme is run through funding rounds instead of a rolling…
27 November 2025
Named by Matthew Brown in the Senedd
Bore da. Matthew Brown, deputy CEO of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
26 November 2025
Named by Jenny Rathbone in the Senedd
…tion in Newtown, which is where we were convening. I appreciate that the Welsh Government provides considerable sums of money to the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and to other organisations, big and small. However, reflecting on the inverse care law, based on the pioneering work of Julian Tudor…
24 November 2025
Named by Mick Antoniw in the Senedd
…tackling poverty. I'd like your comments on the financial resilience of the voluntary sector, particularly bearing in mind that the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, in terms of its overall observation, says that there's no substantial improvement in the commissioning practices or funding availab…
24 November 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…workforce and volunteers. Indeed, we have taken this into account in terms of the uplift to the third sector infrastructure, to the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and to all those that we fund. So, we've looked at ways in which we can support the third sector, particularly in terms of those ext…
20 November 2025
Named by Jayne Bryant in the Senedd
…pect of the third sector more broadly, my colleague Jane Hutt, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, has provided funding to the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and Nottingham Trent University to develop a new Wales-focused barometer, which is to better understand the health of the third sect…
16 October 2025
Named by Michelle Morris in the Senedd
…Gofod3, which is a big third sector event, a Wales-wide event. We attended that earlier in the year and we're now engaging with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action to look at how we can link into their networks and some of the things that they're doing to promote our work and start having conver…
16 October 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action
14 October 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…portant that we address all of these issues. In terms of the voluntary sector, those who have been targeted, we are working with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, county voluntary councils, to help third sector organisations explore the actions they could take to minimise risks without comprom…
7 July 2025
Named by Jenny Rathbone in the Senedd
…ive scrutiny of the future generations Act, and, in this session, we have Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, who's the chief executive of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Rachel Wolfendale, the programme manager for the Co-production Network for Wales, and Hazel Lloyd Lubran, who's the chief officer f…
3 July 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations) & Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations) & Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action
18 June 2025
Named in a ministerial meeting or engagement: Cabsec SJTCW
Purpose: Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru / Wales Council for Voluntary Action
4 June 2025
Named by Julie Morgan in the Senedd
…to take this opportunity to remember Graham Benfield OBE, who has recently passed away. Graham was the chief executive of WCVA, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, for 25 years. He promoted partnership working in every institution in Wales and developed effective relationships across the UK, Eu…
21 May 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…Llandrindod Wells, but it's a Powys initiative. The week after next is Volunteers' Week, and there will be a launch by the WCVA, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, on a new volunteering initiative for Wales. So, this really fits well into what Powys is doing and I'm sure will showcase what can…
12 May 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…we're now talking about more training and understanding of how we should address this. We're talking with local government, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, with the third sector, because I think the third sector can find itself to be particularly vulnerable because they also don't know…
12 May 2025
Named by Jane Hutt in the Senedd
…ed some public services boards to pilot a way forward. I think a communities policy has to be co-produced with communities, with our Wales Council for Voluntary Action, which we fund. I know WCVA and the Building Communities Trust are really supportive of this. I think this is something where we—. I…
Showing the 25 most recent of 136 mentions.
Trustees
12 trustees run the charity.
- Dr Neil Rhys WoodingChair
- Callum Edward Pople Jones
- Christopher Peter Lines
- Colin James Arnold
- Edward Watts MBE DL
- Gareth Clubb
- Jainaba Conteh
- Judith Alexandra Stone
- Kate Eleanor Young
- Lowri Catrin Jones
- Menai Peris Owen-Jones
- Rhian Helen Elizabeth Davies
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 2 December 2025, 60 days early | Received 2 December 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | Received 27 January 2025, 4 days early | Received 27 January 2025 |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | Received 15 December 2023, 47 days early | Received 15 December 2023 |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | Received 23 November 2022, 69 days early | Received 23 November 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Received 3 December 2021, 59 days early | Received 3 December 2021 |
About this charity
- Charity number
- 218093
- Status
- Registered
- Registered with the Commission
- 24 May 1963
- Governing document
- MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 09/12/1946AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 31/03/1950AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 14/12/1982AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 21/03/1983AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 29/09/1994AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 26/09/1996AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 19/11/1998AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 08/11/2001AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 02/12/2004AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 01/12/2005AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION REGISTERED AT COMPANIES HOUSE ON 21/08/2012AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 29/11/2012NOW ARTICLES ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 10/08/2015NOW ARTICLES ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 24 NOV 2016 as amended on 20 Nov 2025 as amended on 20 Nov 2025
- Company number
- 00425299This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House
- Website
- www.wcva.cymru
- 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