What’s really going on in the voluntary sector in Wales? Help us find out. We’re inviting you to take part in shaping the Welsh Voluntary Sector Barometer – a new collaboration between WCVA, Welsh Government, and Nottingham Trent University’s VCSE Data and Insights Observatory. This initiative aims to fill an important gap: providing timely, reliable evidence about the voluntary sector in Wales to support better decisions, stronger advocacy, and more effective funding. This session is your opportunity to: Share what kind of insight would be most useful in your work Help identify the key questions we should be asking Contribute to co-producing a tool that reflects the real needs and strengths of the sector By working together, we can build something meaningful – a resource that helps us understand where we are, where we’re heading, and how we can support the sector’s future.

This session will showcase the impact of the Short Breaks Scheme to date by sharing the experiences of unpaid carers who’ve accessed the scheme. You will hear from a panel of voluntary sector organisations that are delivering short breaks under the Carers Trust Amser grant. Take the opportunity to learn from and with the charities delivering carer breaks, as we look to the future of short breaks for unpaid carers in Wales.

This workshop will present the work of the Strategic Mental Health Workforce Plan so far and to invite engagement from other organisations. The session will be a workshop that identifies its key themes and gives participants the opportunity to make suggestions and to link in with this programme of work.

Transport underpins our lives. Get it right and it opens up educational and employment opportunities, enabling us to maintain contact with family and friends, supporting us to participate in community groups and activities, go shopping or attend hospital appointments. With so many people and parts of Wales currently excluded from the mainstream transport network, this session will consider how the new Bus Bill provides an opportunity to think beyond a basic ‘copy and paste’ version of what we already have to design a transport system that works for all of us.

Join the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Cymru for an empowering session designed specifically for fundraisers that will explore essential strategies to enhance resilience and wellbeing in the demanding world of fundraising. This session will provide practical insights and tools to: tackle burnout invest in your learning and professional development leverage the support available from the wider fundraising community.

This is a session jointly hosted by the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner and Lloyds Bank Foundation. We all want a society and an economy that works for everyone. The voluntary sector and civil society, more broadly, have a key role to play in making this a reality. With a shared vision of communities that are cohesive, fair, and thriving, join the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner and Lloyds Bank Foundation to develop the conversation around the role of community organisations in ensuring well-being for all. This roundtable discussion will explore vital questions such as: How can we increase citizen engagement and trust in decision making during politically charged and uncertain times? And how does social cohesion fit into this? How can we ensure that the people who make decisions really listen to, and value, the voices and experiences of people who are marginalised or find themselves in difficult circumstances? What is the role of cross-sector collaboration in creating opportunities for dialogue? Speakers: Rhian Cahill – Rural Energy Developments (DEG) Cherrie Bija – Faith in Families Emily Reddy – Wrexham Council Chris Johnes – Building Communities Trust Sarah Mackintosh – Carmarthenshire People First Anirban Mukhopadhyay – Kiran Cymru Moderated by: Sabiha Azad – Welsh Refugee Council and Future Generations Leadership Academy Alumnus

Join WCVA Trusted Supplier Pugh Computers for an engaging session packed with AI innovation and exciting updates. Unleash the power of FREE Microsoft Copilot AI to streamline workflows and enhance creative Learn how Copilot and Microsoft Teams combine seamlessly for accurate Welsh language translations within seconds. Empower your team with bespoke hybrid working solutions, including Teams-certified meeting room technology and work from home packages. Best practices for data security and governance with M365 premium security and document controls.

This session will look at how you can develop a positive culture of Cymraeg- English bilingualism in your organisation. You’ll hear from leaders within WCVA and their experience of Welsh Government’s Leading in a Bilingual Country course and how it has helped to transform the way in which Cymraeg is used and viewed within the organisation. This session will be run bilingually and you do not need to be able to speak Cymraeg to join.

Over the past year, Wales Air Ambulance have taken significant steps to strengthen their Welsh language provision, guided by their five-year strategy. In this session, they will share their journey, from launching a new Welsh Language Policy and Scheme to engaging with their staff to build support for the language. The session will explore how they embraced Welsh identity in an inclusive, meaningful way, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them. This is a story about rooting the Welsh language at the heart of their organisation, with a clear path ahead of them.

Volunteering is a key component of community cohesion, individual and collective well-being. The national milestone to have 30% of people volunteering was reached in 2022-23, but how can we sustain and build on this? How can we overcome some of the challenges to volunteer recruitment and retention that the sector has experienced since 2023? Launching the new volunteering vision: Jane Hutt MS – Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson Anthony Hunt – Leader of Torfaen Local Authority Nick Speed – BT’s Head of Nations & Regions, Policy and Public Affairs Panel members: Derek Walker – Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Lindsay Cordery-Bruce – WCVA Chief Executive Mark Simms – Charity Commission Interim Chair Anthony Hunt – Leader of Torfaen Local Authority Lowri Williams – The Wales Youth Lead, Scouts Cymru Moderated by  Sabiha Azad – Welsh Refugee Council and FGLA Alumnus Dan Mapatac – Restless Development FGLA Alumnus