Funding Socials Cymru: Building connections across Wales
03 Jul 2026
- Wales
- Support
Over the past month, Social Investment Scotland (SIS) hit the road and headed to Wales, bringing our Funding Socials model to communities in Caernarfon, Wrexham, Cardiff and Carmarthen in partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
We were pleased to deliver the events alongside Alun Jones, Head of Social Investment at WCVA, whose extensive knowledge of the Welsh third sector helped shape rich and insightful discussions throughout the tour. It was an excellent opportunity to listen, learn and connect with the charities and social enterprises at the heart of communities across Wales.
Increasing awareness of social investment
Funding Socials brings together funders, support agencies and frontline social organisations to explore funding options, strengthen growth plans and hear inspiring stories from within the sector. A key aim of these sessions is to demystify social investment, which we know can sometimes feel complex or inaccessible, particularly for organisations discovering it for the first time. We found that awareness and understanding of social investment varied across different parts of Wales, particularly between urban and rural communities.
By connecting organisations with funders through Q&As and networking opportunities, we can facilitate practical conversations and support them in real time to identify the right blend of loans, grants and support to achieve their ambitions. Across the sessions, participants reported a 100% improved understanding of social investment and blended finance options, including bridging loans.
As Alun explained:
"For social investment to be successful, there needs to be the right environment, and that's about a partnership of market making, support for organisations, and finance for them to make those things happen. That's what these sorts of events are all about: bringing them all together in one place and having the right conversation to make sure that things are all properly understood and really what people can achieve through using all the right tools."
Alun Jones
Head of Social Investment, Wales Council for Voluntary Action
One attendee from the Caernarfon event reflected on the learning and confidence building gained:
The event was excellent; it has given me the inspiration to talk to our Board of Trustees (about applying for social investment).
Funding Socials Caernarfon attendee
An animated room
While finance is often the starting point, the most consistent feedback we receive from Funding Socials is the value of in-person connection. The sessions are targeted at growing and scaling social impact organisations with a level of investment readiness, and attendees represent a wide range of sectors, including arts & culture, youth services, health, community development, environment and more. This diversity always sparks valuable conversations, with organisations engaging in fruitful conversations and sharing experiences, challenges and opportunities in an open and collaborative atmosphere.
As Francesca Williams of Seren noted:
"It's great to see that there are people out there that act as a support bridge. I could've done with this help while I was setting up myself."
Francesca Williams
Seren
Kelly Davis from Ashoka added:
"I would really encourage other organisations and individuals to attend sessions like this to find out what opportunities are available to them."
Kelly Davis
Ashoka
Welsh and Scottish social economy comparisons
For SIS, the tour was also an opportunity to better understand the Welsh social enterprise landscape. We met organisations developing similar social impact models to Scotland, with ambitious plans for growth and a deep commitment to their communities. While we heard many familiar challenges around increasing demand for services and economic uncertainty, we also saw an unmistakable sense of determination, community collectivism and grassroots resilience that the WCVA argue are inherent to Welsh culture. Despite clear differences between communities in Scotland and Wales, there were striking similarities in ways organisations respond creatively to local challenges, build strong partnerships and find new ways to deliver impact despite limited resources.
Reflecting on the programme, Kieran Daly, SIS’s Head of Market Building, said:
"It's the first time that we've ever worked in Wales in this way and it's a good opportunity for Social Investment Scotland to work in partnership with different organisations, deliver more impact and ultimately achieve the best outcomes for communities."
Kieran Daly
Head of Market Building, Social Investment Scotland
Exploring Wales
During their time in Wales, Kieran Daly and SIS Associate Marcella Boyle took the opportunity to explore some of the country’s landmarks and communities between events. Their visit to Cardiff was made somewhat challenging by the descent of 70,000 Take That fans onto the city, but they managed to escape the crowds and visit Cardiff City Stadium, the leaning tower at Caerphilly Castle and the birthplace of Tommy Cooper. Spending time in Wales beyond the event venues provided a deeper appreciation of the communities and local contexts shaping the work of the organisations they met.
Looking ahead
A huge thank you to Alun Jones, Kieran Daly, Marcella Boyle, all of our contributors and, most importantly, everyone who joined us and shared their experiences. As we conclude our first Funding Socials Cymru programme, we're leaving with a stronger national network and a strong sense of optimism about the future. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the support of Ceniarth, recent members of SIS’s family of investors. Their support of our Market Building activities enabled these events to take place.
The video below provides a flavour of the events to date. We look forward to continuing the conversation during Funding Socials sessions in Scotland in the months ahead.