Urdd Gobaith Cymru recognised for 'vital' support to Afghan and Ukrainian refugees

• By ITV Wales reporter, Megan Boot

A family who fled Afghanistan have spoken about the support they received from a charity which has been recognised for its work.

Urdd Gobaith Cymru gives support to refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

In its centenary year the National Voluntary Youth Organisation has been crowned organisation of the year. 

Juma Khan Joya and his family are some of those the charity supported. In 2021, they had to leave Afghanistan and arrived in Cardiff, a city they’d never heard of before.  

Their first home in the Welsh capital was the Urdd’s Residential Centre in Cardiff Bay, and they spent nearly five months living there. Juma described their time there as “very good, especially for the children” who had so much space to play. 

The organisation was offering far more than just accommodation. There was art and craft, music, football, trips, welsh lessons - a whole array of sessions to help people feel welcomed and supported.

Ceren Roberts is the director of the centre and said it was very important to provide fun activities for the 110 Afghans they hosted, particularly after the traumatic events they had faced. And it was a model the organisation followed when they welcomed refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Humanitarian work has always been part of the Urdd’s DNA - a hundred years on and those achievements continue to be celebrated.

Ahead of Welsh Charities Week, ITV Wales News has been meeting some of the winners whose work is being recognised.

Organised by the WcVA, the awards highlight the impact organisations and individuals across the country are making.

ITV Cymru Wales is pleased to be supporting the Welsh Charities Week again this year as a Media Partner. 

The Welsh Charities Week, organised by WCVA, will be taking place between 21 - 25 November and aims to recognise and shine a light on the work of charities, voluntary organisations, community groups and volunteers across Wales.