WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

Bevan Buckland will provide an update on current risks in the charity sector, offering strategies to help effectively manage risk, and discuss the fundamentals of a risk register.
This thought-provoking session will conclude with an interactive Q&A where attendees can seek advice regarding specific challenges they face within their own charity.

The Open University in Wales currently supports volunteers through their ‘Get Ahead with Volunteering training programme’, but what else could/should they be doing within the sector? They would love to hear your thoughts.
This interactive session will explore:

OpenLearn Champions advocacy training for the voluntary sector
Get Ahead with Volunteering programme – now in its third year
Other partnerships within the sector and how The Open University support staff CPD learning
Exploring OpenLearn – their free bite-size return to learning website, home to 1,000 free courses and 10,000 free interactives, papers, games and other return to learning resources.

This is a session offering voluntary sector youth organisations the opportunity to find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DoFE).
Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of:

the positive impact that the DofE can have on young people who participate
how the programme is delivered
how to become a DofE delivery partner.

Charities in Wales face big challenges like too much paperwork and limited resources. AI can help by doing boring jobs quickly and freeing up time for other work.
In this session, you will see AI in action and learn how to use it for your organisation.
Post-session, participants will also receive a digital guide to re-engage with their learning.
Come and discover how AI can boost your productivity and help you to better serve your community!

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.

Are you considering learning Welsh? Join Helen Prosser from the National Centre for Learning Welsh to hear more about the courses the centre has to offer, for you personally and for your organisation.

WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

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.

This session aims to raise awareness of both the National Office for Care and Support National Office for Care and Support and the National framework for commissioning care and support: code of practice. Looking at how this legislation could help to support better collaboration and more relational, inclusive, transparent commissioning between local authorities, health boards and third and voluntary sector companies. The aims of the code are to create more consistent, honest and collaborative commissioning practices across Wales.

Over ten years of delivering skills-based volunteering programmes, Lloyds Bank Foundation has seen the value they add to volunteers, charities, business and more.
In this session, Lloyds Bank Foundation colleagues and charity partners will share their experience and learning with attendees.
Come along to hear first-hand experiences of the different ways that skills-based volunteering can benefit charities in Wales and how cross-sector partnerships might benefit charities and volunteers alike.

This session will share how the leadership programmes have supported social leaders over the last year in developing their leadership skills and providing an environment to nurture wellbeing and develop peer networks.
Come along to learn about their work to date, around the future of leadership development for the voluntary sector in Wales and plans for an upcoming fully funded leadership development programme.
Social Leaders Cymru is a partnership between Cwmpas, Clore Social Leadership and WCVA, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
If you missed taking part in the workshop last year, this is an opportunity to have your say about the future of leadership that is now in development for the voluntary sector in Wales.

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

Join us for an informative session where we’ll explore the National Lottery Community Fund’s current and upcoming funding opportunities for your community.
This session will offer a masterclass, including valuable tips, if or when you apply to their flagship People and Places programme.
You’ll learn about the programme’s current priorities, including the new requirement for applicants to explain how they will manage their environmental impact.

Join ProMo Cymru, as we explore the challenges and opportunities of embedding Artificial Intelligence across your organisation.
We’ll consider strategies for supporting your staff, navigating ethical considerations with confidence, writing appropriate usage policies, and communicating your vision for responsible AI adoption.
Whether you’re in the early stages of AI exploration, or developing a strategy, this session will equip you with practical insights to lead your organisation into the future with Artificial Intelligence.

This will be a structured conversation, led by Barbara Chidgey, founder and Chair of the charity Daring to Dream. Daring to Dream supports the emotional (not mental) health of the 1.2 million adults in Wales living with illness. Research confirms that talking about our feelings assists a more rapid recovery from acute crises, supports living better with chronic illness, potentially reduces the risk of also developing a mental illness on top of the physical illness.
A focus on emotional health is a game changer, says Barbara Chidgey (founder of Daring to Dream) for those of us living with illness, our families and carers and for NHS Wales.

Renewable energy growth in Wales creates community benefit funds, offering local investment and empowerment. This panel, hosted by Community Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC) and RWE (the largest power producer in Wales), explores these funds’ diverse landscapes.
Discussions will cover grass-roots decision-making, management models, accessibility, impact measurement, and aligning with community needs. Stakeholders, including fund managers and recipients, will share insights and best practices, with the aim of enhancing the funds’ effectiveness, increase awareness, and foster collaboration.

The network of Mentrau Iaith (Language Initiatives) across Wales provides insights into communities of Welsh speakers. We will advise organisations that do not primarily operate through the medium of Welsh to increase their engagement with them in a meaningful way. You will learn about Welsh speaking community groups and discover how to reach them.

What would a just transition look like if people and planet were truly at its heart? This session will explore how feminist economics, climate justice, and wellbeing economy principles can shape Wales’s journey towards a caring, green economy.
Drawing on emerging research on a Wellbeing Economy for Wales and vision for a Green New Deal based on feminist principles, the panel will reimagine an economy that not only protects the environment but prioritises the wellbeing of those most impacted by the climate crisis – leaving no one behind.

WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

Would you like an opportunity to practise your Welsh with others who are looking to build their confidence in using the language? Come along for a chat in Cymraeg with peers over lunch.
This session is aimed at Welsh learners and those who would like to increase their confidence in using Welsh.

WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

As Wales’ only Hub for Community-Led Housing, Cwmpas’ Communities Creating Homes (CCH) team is tasked with delivering advice and support to grow the number of affordable community-led homes across the country that are owned and/or managed by local people for the benefit of the wider community. Put simply, this means affordable homes created by grassroots not-for-profit organisations who are sensitive to context and conscious of impact – both social and environmental.
Come along to find out more!

Community groups play a key role in the fabric of many Welsh places, supporting and sustaining critical social infrastructure and providing opportunities for local people to meet, have fun and access urgent assistance if required. Building Communities Trust (BCT) offers communities funding, support, opportunities for sharing and learning, and the chance to influence decisions affecting them.
Invest Local is an innovative community development programme, with people at its heart, running in 13 areas across Wales. It provides £1m to each area, to be invested as local residents see fit, in order to achieve their goals.
Join BCT to hear from its Invest Local Officers and Invest Local programme participants as they share their experiences, challenges, and the lessons learned from the Invest Local programme so far.

The word “digital” carries many meanings. It encompasses computers and hardware, social media, security and data, how services are designed and everything in between.
It impacts every part of our lives, is rapidly evolving and offers the potential to deliver better services that meet people’s changing needs and expectations.
During this session, ProMo Cymru, on behalf of Newid, will be sharing good practice and discussing the mindset and skills needed to be a digitally advancing organisation.
The team will also share resources, networking and training opportunities, so that you can embrace digital in 2025.

Fraudsters are growing ever more sophisticated, and the introduction of AI into the mix means that independent scrutiny of governance documents, minutes and financial information has become imperative.
This fascinating session explains what Independent Examiners do, why you may want to train as one, and how they function to identify fraud.

Bevan Buckland will provide an update on current risks in the charity sector, offering strategies to help effectively manage risk, and discuss the fundamentals of a risk register.
This thought-provoking session will conclude with an interactive Q&A where attendees can seek advice regarding specific challenges they face within their own charity.

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 creativity.
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.

What does the Senedd reform mean for the voluntary sector? What is on our wish list for the next Welsh Government? What are the different political parties promising to deliver?
This informative session will summarise the challenges and opportunities ahead of next year’s election, and what WCVA has learned from engaging with political parties as they draft their manifestos and how that maps against voluntary sector priorities. You will have an opportunity to feedback, ask questions, and begin developing your influencing strategy.

This session showcases joint work between WCVA’s safeguarding team and charity Inside Out Support Wales (IOSW), which aims to offer general and bespoke support and guidance for people with convictions.
Its purpose is to help organisations better support people with convictions into volunteering and employment, and attendees can expect to have a sneak peek at a new video, revised guidance document, as well as an oppoprtunity to ask questions to the Inside Out Support panel.

The Welsh Language Commissioner’s HybuTeam will be hosting the Welsh Language in the Third Sector Network at gofod3 this year. The Network gives you the opportunity to hear from expert speakers, to network and to learn from each other while discussing challenges and successes.

How inclusive are our volunteering practices, and where can we do better?
This interactive session will explore good practices in inclusive volunteering, drawing on the inclusion quality area of Investing in Volunteers (IiV).
Top tips will be shared – both quick wins and longer-term approaches – to ensure volunteering is accessible to all.
Join the session to reflect, share, and take action toward making volunteering truly inclusive.

WCVA has commissioned The Funding Centre to explore the types and levels of different fundraising methods within the voluntary sector in Wales. In this informative session, we will present the findings of the research, illustrating the make-up of voluntary income within the Welsh sector and highlighting which fundraising activities have the most potential for growth.

Building on the 2024 gofod3 panel discussion of the same name, this workshop shares learning from a six-month action learning project exploring what it means to ‘Find the Good’ in commissioning practice across Wales.
The project was initiated by the Welsh Small Charities Forum, and developed in partnership with Lloyds Bank Foundation, Cwmpas, County Voluntary Councils (CVCs), small charities, and social enterprises across Wales. Together, project partners developed local and regional commissioning conversations throughout Spring 2025.
This workshop features contributions from those involved in the project, sharing insights and outcomes from their experiences. Attendees will be invited to reflect on the learning and consider how the voluntary sector can build on this work to advocate for better commissioning practices across Wales.

Jointly hosted by the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner and PAVS (Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services) this session explores a place-based approach and how cross-sector collaboration can deliver on well-being when the voluntary sector is an equal partner at the table.
Hearing from cross-sector perspectives on the ground in Pembrokeshire, the discussion will address key questions, including:

How can better collaboration (including with the private sector) be fostered to improve long-term sustainability for partnership working?
How could partnership structures in Wales be improved to build on success and reduce barriers to effective collaboration?

Speakers

Lisa Davies – Hywel Dda UHB
Councillor Marc Tierny –  Pembrokeshire County Council
Rhian Bennett – Pembrokeshire County Council
Anna Mullarky – Milford Haven Port Authority
Jessie Buchanan – Together for Change Cymru
Jess Bickerton – Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Servides (PAVS)

Moderated by 

Yaser Sheikhpour – Refugee and Asylum Seeker health sector worker and FGLA Alumnus
Yumna Hassan – Swansea Bay University Health board and FGLA Alumnus

WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

Having analysed long-term polling data, nfpResearch will reveal how public and political attitudes towards charities have changed over the past decade.
The session will examine four key areas that are vital for the sector:

Trust and visibility – how Welsh charities compare to the UK, including their role in confronting challenges
Shifting donation habits – how the Welsh public would like their money spent
Welsh language and localism – how charities can improve communication with the Welsh public
Political engagement – how charities can effectively engage with MSs and prepare for 2026.

This session will provide valuable data and strategic takeaways for charities navigating Wales’s evolving voluntary sector.

Discover how payroll giving can create a sustainable income stream for charities while making giving effortless for donors.
This session will introduce charities to the benefits of payroll giving, how to engage employers, and best practice for success.
Through expert insights and real-life case studies, attendees will gain actionable strategies to maximise donations and strengthen relationships with corporate partners. Whether you’re new to payroll giving or looking to enhance your programme, this session will provide practical guidance to boost donor engagement and impact.

Embarking on the path to net zero can feel overwhelming, but every organisation can take meaningful steps to reduce its carbon footprint.
Join Utility Aid to begin your journey to sustainability. This session will provide practical guidance covering energy efficiency, cost saving measures, and simple strategies to begin your net zero journey. Learn how to make a real impact while staying financially sustainable.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to accelerate your progress, this talk will equip you with the knowledge and tools to take action.

This timely workshop looks at the interaction young people have with social media and the issues that arise for both young people and parents.
Attendees will learn how to help our young people and what we can do about issues when they do arise.

Charities in Wales face big challenges like too much paperwork and limited resources. AI can help by doing boring jobs quickly and freeing up time for other work.
In this session, you will see AI in action and learn how to use it for your organisation.
Post-session, participants will also receive a digital guide to re-engage with their learning.
Come and discover how AI can boost your productivity and help you to better serve your community!

Usually known as ‘CVC Representatives’ or ‘Third Sector Reps’, Voluntary Sector Representatives participate in Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs) across Wales, yet their time is largely voluntary with only limited support for those taking on the role. This means there is no established network for representatives to connect and share their experiences, challenges or the best practice from their respective areas.
This session invites Voluntary Sector Representatives involved in any of the RPBs to meet for an initial conversation with a view to establishing a network. Its aim is to have a draft agenda for a future inaugural all Wales meeting for RPB Voluntary Sector Representatives in the future.

This is a session offering voluntary sector youth organisations the opportunity to find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DoFE).
Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of:

the positive impact that the DofE can have on young people who participate
how the programme is delivered
how to become a DofE delivery partner.

What does the Senedd reform mean for the voluntary sector? What is on our wish list for the next Welsh Government? What are the different political parties promising to deliver?
This informative session will summarise the challenges and opportunities ahead of next year’s election, and what WCVA has learned from engaging with political parties as they draft their manifestos and how that maps against voluntary sector priorities. You will have an opportunity to feedback, ask questions, and begin developing your influencing strategy.

WCVA’s Governance Manager will be available for you to discuss any governance queries that you may have in a private 20 minute surgery.
Pre-book you time slot and let us know a brief overview of the topics you would like to discuss. This would allow collaboration with other WCVA teams and lead to more effective advice.

This is an interactive skills workshop hosted and run by Hwb Dyfodol, a new partnership initiative to support long-term thinking skills in Cymru.
Join the Hwb team to learn about Future Design, a technique you can put to use in your organisation and communities.
Session leaders will invite people to imagine themselves transported to the year 2050, and ponder these questions:

How would they view the world?
What would they want to see?
What decisions would they wish their predecessors had made?

How can we turn a one-off volunteering experience into the beginning of a lifelong journey?
This useful session explores how people often enter volunteering through short-term experiences – like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Welsh Baccalaureate, employer-supported volunteering, or national events like The Big Help Out.
Take the opportunity to consider how these early experiences can be powerful springboards for longer term commitments when the right conditions are in place.

The UK government’s new Employment Rights Bill is currently making its way through parliament. It aims to modernise employment law, strengthening worker protections and promote fairness in the workplace. Key changes include making unfair dismissal claims a “day one” right, ensuring fairer treatment for zero-hours contracts, and creating a Fair Work Agency for enforcement. The bill also addresses issues like flexible working, statutory sick pay, family leave, and protections against harassment. In this session, Fflur Jones will be focusing on what every charity needs to know about the Employment Rights Bill, and how you should prepare for its arrival.

The solutions to the growing mental health crisis lie outside of ‘health’. Our Mental Health is not determined by our genes but by the circumstances and conditions in which we are born, live, work, and play.
This interactive session explores what factors promote good mental health, and how to embed prevention in communities.