The Parish Trust is overjoyed to announce that we have been named Fundraiser of the Year at the Welsh Charity Awards 2025, hosted by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) at The Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
This prestigious award recognises outstanding fundraising achievements that have made a significant and lasting impact on communities in Wales, and we are honoured that our campaign to build the Trethomas Life Centre has been acknowledged at a national level.
A Remarkable Journey
In early 2025, The Parish Trust was faced with an unexpected and deeply challenging moment in its history: we were asked to vacate our former headquarters at short notice, placing much of our vital community work at risk. Rather than seeing this as the end, we chose to see it as an opportunity to grow, expand, and start a new chapter. It hasn’t been an easy ride for us, but nonetheless the end result has been worth the challenge.
We launched an ambitious campaign to raise the funds needed to renovate, and relaunch a permanent home for the charity: a building that would serve as some sort of base for us, but also expand what was possible for our community. In just six months, thanks to the incredible generosity of local people, trusts and foundations, corporate supporters, and the sheer determination of our team, we raised the money required to turn this vision into reality.
What followed was a five-month building programme that transformed the formerly derelict Bryn Hall OAP centre into the Trethomas Life Centre, a vibrant, multi-purpose space now serving as the beating heart of our charitable operations.
A Centre With Purpose
The Trethomas Life Centre (TLC) now plays host to a wide range of projects that make a daily difference to people’s lives:
- Youth and children’s programmes providing safe, structured, values-led activities
- Activities that directly address poverty
- Wellbeing initiatives addressing loneliness, mental health, and community resilience
- Volunteering programmes that build confidence, skills, and friendships
- Space for the local community to gather, grow, and support one another
The success of the fundraising campaign was not measured purely in financial terms, but in the trust, belief, and shared vision of an entire community coming together to protect and grow a charity they value.
It is this incredible groundswell of support, and the scale and speed of delivery that we believe contributed to our selection as Fundraiser of the Year.
Celebrating With the Sector
Our Chief Executive, Rev. Dean Aaron Roberts, attended the awards ceremony in Cardiff alongside two of our trustees, Rose Llewellyn and Liz Blacker. The event brought together charity leaders from across Wales, and was a celebration of the voluntary sector who are doing incredible work across Wales in very trying circumstances.
During the evening, our team had the privilege of meeting Jane Hutt MS, as well as David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of His Majesty’s Charity Commission for England and Wales, whose leadership and commitment to good governance across the sector is widely recognised. The opportunity to share the story of The Parish Trust with such esteemed figures in the third sector was an unforgettable moment of encouragement and recognition.
“This award is the icing on the cake after months of tireless work, countless acts of generosity, and the belief that our community deserves a centre of its own. The building and opening of the TLC is a sign of what can happen when people pull together,” said Rev. Dean Aaron Roberts.
“We are deeply grateful to WCVA, the judging panel, and all those who continue to support The Parish Trust as we seek to serve our communities to bring life in all its fullness.”
Thank you to everyone who made this moment possible. This award belongs to the whole community.
