Welsh Charity Awards 2026 Winners Celebrated in Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• Event: Charities, community groups, not-for-profits, and volunteers came together at the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff on Thursday, 15 October 2026 for the annual Welsh Charity Awards event organized by the WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action) and hosted by Jennifer Jones of BBC Wales Today.
• Impact: According to research conducted by Policy&Practice at St Chad’s College, Durham University, commissioned by WCVA and released in May 2026, 212,200 regular volunteers provide 15.3 million hours each year to voluntary sector organizations in Wales, contributing to a social value worth £3.98 billion.
• Volunteer of the Year: Annie Hutchings, founder and main volunteer of the Tots Early Years Community (TEYC) in Monmouthshire was named Volunteer of the Year for developing an inclusive early years network after her daughter Annabel’s diagnosis of a rare genetic neurodevelopmental condition.
• Young Volunteer of the Year: Bowen Cole of Swansea was named Young Volunteer of the Year for his hundreds of hours of work for youth advocacy, equality, and peacebuilding projects locally and abroad.60-year anniversary with its largest research investment in history—totalling £2.86m across 20 new projects, including nine PhD studentships and its first five-year Fellowship awarded to Dr Bruce MacLachlan.
• Graham Benfield Outstanding Achievement Award: Marco Gil-Cervantes from ProMo Cymru was awarded as the first ever winner for the past 30 years of his leadership in expanding ProMo Cymru as a 50-member strong social enterprise, creating two youth helplines, and raising £1.2 million for preserving Ebbw Vale Institute.
• Government Honors: Minister of Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies, congratulated the winners and finalists for their resilience and contribution towards the community.
• Other Category Winners: The following were some of the winners: Media Academy Cymru Ltd (Fundraiser of the Year), AP Cymru The Neurodiversity Charity (Champion of Diversity), Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch (Welsh Language Use), Children’s Legal Centre Wales Ltd (Most Influential Small Organization), and Eye to Eye Counselling Service (Health & Well-being).

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) October 16, 2026 – Wales’ most dedicated charity heroes, community champions, and volunteer trailblazers were officially honoured at a high-profile national awards ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Organised by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and co-hosted by BBC Wales Today presenter Jennifer Jones, the annual event brought together leaders from across the third sector to celebrate exceptional grassroots contributions, resilience, and social impact throughout the nation.

Who Were the Major Winners Recognized at the Welsh Charity Awards 2026 in Cardiff?

As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales247, the ceremony shone a light on remarkable individuals and organizations driving positive change across Welsh communities. Among the principal accolades, Annie Hutchings, founder and lead volunteer of Tots Early Years Community (TEYC) in Monmouthshire, was named Volunteer of the Year. When her daughter, Annabel, was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder just before her first birthday, Annie created TEYC to fill a glaring gap in inclusive early years community provision. The initiative now welcomes approximately 25 to 30 families in a typical week.

Reflecting on her journey and community impact, Annie Hutchings stated: “I couldn’t change my daughter’s diagnosis, but I could change the small part of the world she grows up in. That belief is at the heart of Tots Early Years Community. I’m really proud of the community we’ll built, the families who trust us and the volunteers who make it all possible.” Alongside navigating Annabel’s care and raising her son Joey, Annie’s personal experiences have shaped a non-clinical, welcoming space where children participate freely and families find peer support without judgement.

Another standout recipient was Bowen Cole from Swansea, who was announced as the winner of the Young Volunteer of the Year award. Studying International Relations full-time, Bowen has dedicated hundreds of hours to youth advocacy, equality, and peacebuilding both in Wales and on the international stage. Despite facing challenges including racist abuse and credible death threats, he has continued his advocacy, championing underrepresented communities at the Senedd, supporting cancer awareness campaigns following his mother’s diagnosis, and encouraging constructive dialogue regarding the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

How Did Cancer Research Wales Secure Organisation of the Year?

Marking a historic milestone during its 60-year anniversary, Cancer Research Wales was awarded Organisation of the Year. As the only charity dedicated exclusively to funding cancer research in Wales, the organisation rolled out its largest research investment in history, totalling £2.86 million across 20 new projects. This substantial funding package comprises nine PhD studentships and the charity’s inaugural five-year Fellowship, which was awarded to Dr Bruce MacLachlan of Cardiff University to establish an advanced laboratory focused on developing novel forms of immunotherapy.

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What Did Government and Sector Leaders Say About Wales’ Voluntary Workforce?

The vital importance of the voluntary sector was underscored by robust data released earlier in the year. Research commissioned by WCVA and conducted by Policy&Practice at St Chad’s College, Durham University, published in May 2026, estimates that 212,200 regular volunteers contribute 15.3 million hours of their time annually to voluntary organisations across Wales, collectively generating £3.98 billion in social value.

Addressing the assembled finalists and guests, Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies, remarked:

“Tonight’s winners and finalists show the very best of Wales. From Bowen Cole’s youth advocacy and volunteering with YMCA Swansea to Cancer Research Wales’ largest ever investment in research, they show what people and organisations can achieve across this small but mighty nation. Every volunteer and charity worker who steps in or finds a way through a problem makes life a little easier for someone, often a stranger. Those values keep Wales the place we all know and love. Across Government, we recognise and value everything you do.”

Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, WCVA Chief Executive, praised the immense dedication underpinning these figures:

“Tonight is about every one of our winners and finalists, and the thousands of people and organisations they represent. From supporting survivors of domestic abuse to championing the Welsh language, community energy and young people’s wellbeing, they show what Wales’ voluntary sector does every single day, often quietly and with no thought of reward. Volunteers across Wales give 15.3 million hours of their time every year. That’s 15.3 million hours of kindness, and tonight we got to celebrate just a few of the people behind that figure. Llongyfarchiadau to every one of you.”

Who Received the Inaugural Graham Benfield Outstanding Achievement Award?

In a special tribute to institutional leadership, Marco Gil-Cervantes of ProMo Cymru became the first-ever recipient of the newly established Graham Benfield Outstanding Achievement Award. Created in memory of Graham Benfield, who served as WCVA Chief Executive from 1989 to 2014, the award honours Marco’s exceptional 30 years of leadership within the voluntary sector. During his tenure, he successfully grew ProMo Cymru into a robust 50-strong social enterprise, established two vital helplines for young people, and spearheaded efforts to raise £1.2 million to save the historic Ebbw Vale Institute.

Which Other Category Winners Were Celebrated at the Ceremony?

The breadth of community service across Wales was reflected across multiple competitive categories:

• Fundraiser of the Year: Sponsored by Hedyn and awarded to Media Academy Cymru Ltd, which successfully doubled its income from £1 million to £2 million, secured long-term service stability, purchased its Cardiff headquarters, and embedded sustainable fundraising across its operations.
• Champion of Diversity: Co-sponsored by Bute Energy and won by AP Cymru The Neurodiversity Charity, recognized under CEO Karen Mills for its organization-wide commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
• Use of the Welsh Language: Sponsored by Darwin Gray and awarded to Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch, which has fostered an ecosystem where Welsh thrives as a living language, engaging nearly 7,000 visitors in Aberystwyth and thousands more on national tours.
• Most Influential Small Organisation: Sponsored by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales and presented to the Children’s Legal Centre Wales Ltd, which reached over 200 schools, boosted legal literacy among pupils by 41% to 71%, and informed Welsh Government policy regarding guardianship services and strip-search scrutiny for children.
• Health and Wellbeing: Sponsored by Geldards and won by Eye to Eye Counselling Service, which delivered 8,844 hours of professional therapy to 1,647 children and young people across South Wales to combat emotional distress.

Background

The Welsh Charity Awards represent the preeminent annual platform dedicated exclusively to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of charities, voluntary organisations, community groups, and individual volunteers across Wales. Organised annually by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)—the national membership body for voluntary organisations in Wales—the event aims to highlight the hidden and profound contributions made by grassroots workers and major charitable institutions alike. Over the decades, the voluntary sector has evolved into a critical pillar of Welsh society, addressing systemic gaps in healthcare, social welfare, youth advocacy, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. The introduction of specific categories over time reflects emerging societal needs, such as neurodiversity support, digital mental health helplines, and regional community resilience initiatives, reinforcing the sector’s adaptability and core ethos of public service.

This high-profile recognition of Welsh charity heroes and voluntary organisations is expected to generate significant positive ripple effects across local communities and institutional funding networks throughout Wales. For individual winners like Annie Hutchings and Bowen Cole, national acclaim increases public awareness and civic engagement around rare neurodevelopmental conditions and youth-led human rights advocacy, potentially inspiring a new wave of volunteers to join local initiatives. Furthermore, the public endorsement by senior governmental figures such as Cabinet Minister Dafydd Trystan Davies signals ongoing alignment between statutory bodies and the voluntary sector, which may foster more robust collaborative frameworks and grant opportunities. For major organisations like Cancer Research Wales and community enterprises like ProMo Cymru and Media Academy Cymru Ltd, the visibility provided by the WCVA awards strengthens donor confidence, corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic investment, ultimately empowering these entities to expand their reach, scale their therapeutic and operational programmes, and enhance long-term social value creation across Welsh communities.