New digital platform aims to boost volunteer numbers across Wales

CHARITIES of all sizes across Wales are being urged to sign up to a new digital volunteering platform designed to make it easier for people to give their time and support vital community causes.

Created by the Royal Voluntary Service, with funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the platform will help connect charities with would-be volunteers in their local areas. It is free to use and aims to modernise how volunteering is accessed and managed.

Voluntary organisations across the country have struggled in recent years with declining volunteer numbers. But research by Royal Voluntary Service suggests this trend could be reversed. In Wales, 45% of people said they would be more likely to volunteer if they could do so flexibly via an app or online platform.

Motivation to contribute remains strong, with many citing a desire to support their local community as a key reason to volunteer. The new platform aims to tap into this enthusiasm by making it easier for people to find roles that suit their lifestyles.

Launching to the public this autumn, the platform will allow users to browse, filter and apply for volunteering roles with just a few clicks. In the meantime, charities can sign up and begin uploading roles from June onwards to test the platform.

It is hoped the platform will become a central hub for flexible, accessible and digitally enabled volunteering in Wales. Charities from all sectors—whether in sport, the arts, health, environmental work or animal welfare—are encouraged to register and offer a diverse range of roles.

Making opportunities inclusive and varied—from one-off remote roles to team-based or traditional placements—will help widen access to volunteering and inspire a new generation of community contributors.

As well as improving recruitment, the platform aims to reduce the administrative burden for charities. Volunteers will complete a one-time onboarding and identity check, enabling them to switch between roles and organisations without repeating basic steps. Free criminal record checks will also be introduced in future.

Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said:

“We’ve developed this platform in partnership with charities large and small to ensure it’s genuinely useful across the board. By breaking down the barriers to volunteering, we’re helping more people fit it into their busy lives. Thanks to the support of People’s Postcode Lottery players, we’re on the brink of a volunteer revolution, and we want as many Welsh charities as possible to be part of it.”

Clara Govier, Managing Director at People’s Postcode Lottery, added:

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of so many charities. This platform will help new generations find opportunities that suit their lives—whether locally or online. We’re incredibly proud to support Royal Voluntary Service in delivering this initiative.”

Local charities have also welcomed the platform.
Damian Golden, Accessible Vehicle Co-ordinator for Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations (PACTO), said:

“Volunteers are the heart of our community transport network. We’re hopeful this platform will help us connect with more passionate individuals and extend our reach across Pembrokeshire.”

The platform is free for charities and includes identity checks for volunteers. Organisations interested in registering or taking part in upcoming workshops and webinars can find out more at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

Director lied on three loan applications after already receiving funds

A PEMBROKESHIRE businessman who fraudulently claimed £150,000 in Bounce Back Loans during the Covid-19 pandemic has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

ZAHID AFZAL, aged 37, of Albert Street, Haverfordwest, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (June 12) to two years in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

Afzal, the director of mobile phone businesses Phone Bits Ltd and Phones Onn Ltd, had already received £52,500 in legitimate Covid loans when he applied for a further three loans—one for Phone Bits and two for Phones Onn—between May and November 2020.

The court heard that Afzal lied on each of the second-round applications, claiming they were the first he had made and exaggerating the turnover of the businesses. Each loan was for £50,000—the maximum permitted under the government-backed Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

The Insolvency Service, which investigated the case, found that the majority of the £150,000 Afzal fraudulently secured was transferred to his personal accounts, in breach of the loan scheme’s conditions.

David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “It is clear from our investigations that Zahid Afzal felt he could continue to apply time and time again for loans he was not entitled to. His sentencing should serve as a reminder to those contemplating fraudulently pocketing taxpayers’ money to think again.”

Afzal’s companies operated phone shops and kiosks in Carmarthen, Shropshire, Andover, and North Devon. The Insolvency Service confirmed that no wrongdoing was found in relation to the original £20,000 and £32,500 loans he obtained for Phones Onn Ltd and Phone Bits Ltd respectively.

The government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme was introduced to support small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic, offering loans of up to £50,000 at low interest, guaranteed by the Government. Loans were strictly intended for business use only.

The Insolvency Service has confirmed it is now seeking to recover the £150,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Financial dispute believed to be behind incident on Marble Hall Road

POLICE were called to a property in Milford Haven this week after reports that persons were threatening to kill the occupant.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday (June 11), led to a visible police presence at an address on Marble Hall Road. Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed that officers are investigating.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said: “Officers are investigating a report of threats to kill made at a property on Marble Hall Road, Milford Haven, on Wednesday 11 June. Enquiries are ongoing.”

The Herald understands the incident may be linked to a financial dispute over money owed, although this has not been officially confirmed by police.

No arrests have been announced at this stage.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online or by calling 101.