Play Your Part, Change Lives: Powerful human stories shared for Welsh Charities Week

Adam Johannes 

A new film showcasing the life changing work of charities and volunteers across Wales has been launched to mark Welsh Charities Week, shining a spotlight on the people and communities behind the country’s voluntary sector.

The campaign, organised by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), runs from February 9 to 13 and aims to encourage people to volunteer, donate or support causes close to their hearts. Titled Play Your Part, Change Lives, the campaign highlights the huge social and economic impact charities have across Wales.

According to recent research by Durham University, the voluntary sector contributed at least £9.1 billion to the Welsh economy in 2025, while saving the public sector an estimated £1.4 billion through the services and support it provides.

Across Wales, more than 45,000 charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations are currently operating, supported by around 900,000 volunteers who give an estimated 145 million hours of their time each year.

The newly released film, produced by WCVA and created by We Are Torchy Films, brings these figures to life through personal stories. It features the journey of a former resident of Brynawel House Rehabilitation Centre in Llanharan, a leading residential centre supporting people recovering from alcohol and drug dependencies.

The film also highlights opportunities created for young people through the Grange Pavilion Youth Forum in Grangetown, Cardiff, and the sense of wellbeing and community experienced by volunteers working at the Gwaith Powdr Nature Reserve, part of the North Wales Wildlife Trust.

WCVA says the aim is to show how charities help people rebuild lives, create connections and strengthen communities across the country.

Connected

Dr Lindsay Cordery Bruce, Chief Executive of WCVA, said charities and voluntary organisations play a vital role in keeping communities connected.

“They promote collective awesomeness in the heart of our communities and enable great things to happen,”  Cordery Bruce said. “They make a huge impact on all of us whether we are being supported, giving or giving back. We want Welsh Charities Week to inspire more organisations and individuals to get involved. The answers to community problems are already within communities. Charities are the key that unlocks this potential.”

As part of Welsh Charities Week, WCVA will also host two forum events for the voluntary sector at the Senedd and at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff.

Discussions will focus on celebrating achievements within the sector while also addressing challenges such as responding to hate and misinformation, as well as shaping the future of the voluntary sector in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections in May.

The organisation is calling on the next Welsh Government to work in closer partnership with the voluntary sector, including backing proposals for a Voluntary Sector Partnership Act to help the sector thrive: “We are clear: no government can deliver a more prosperous, fairer, healthier and bilingual Wales without us”.

Campaign organisers are urging individuals, schools and businesses to get involved by donating, volunteering or forming partnerships with charities to help create new opportunities and skills within communities.

Information packs explaining how people and organisations can take part are being made available throughout the week. More information about the campaign and how to get involved can be found here.