The directors present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the company's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
At the balance sheet date, total funds were £183,150 (2025: £167,019). Restricted reserves were £nil (2025: £nil), and free reserves were £182,381 (2025: £166,521).
The All Wales People First National Council is a member-led forum comprising representatives from self-advocacy groups across Wales. The members decide the organisation’s vision, political priorities, and what should go into the All-Wales People First. Business Plan. They hold the Chief Executive to account over the progress he is making in delivering their vision at a national level. They meet with the Chief Executive four times a year. The National Council are responsible for appointing and dismissing members of the Board.
The All-Wales People First Board of Directors oversees the governance, financial and legal responsibilities of All-Wales People First. They line-manage and advise the Chief Executive. The Board of Directors ensures that All Wales People First fulfils its legal and financial obligations as an organisation and its employer duties.
Although the company is not a charity, its income and expenditure have been apportioned between Unrestricted, Restricted, and Designated funds. This follows best practice as prescribed by the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities.
MIRROR Strategy (Re-Animating Self Advocacy)
The strategic aims in the current MIRROR Strategy (Business Plan), 'Re-Animating Self-Advocacy,' follow the MIRROR Principles of Self-Advocacy. They are:
Members
Ideas
Rights
Reflect
Organization
Review
The activities of All Wales People First are also in accordance with the organisation's MIRROR Strategy (Business Plan) 2019-2024 and its core values, as set out by the National Council in December 2019.
All Wales People First believes in being open and honest, celebrating achievements, and making decisions thoughtfully, fairly, and together. We believe that people with learning disabilities should:
Believe in ourselves, our hopes and dreams.
Have equal rights
Have a positive image
Have access to self-advocacy
Be informed and be able to voice, choose, and control
Know about rights, especially Human Rights
Be included as active citizens in Welsh Society
Be treated as adults
Be respected and respect others
Our members believe that rights, which include the right to have access to society, are important to them. These include:
Right to be leaders
Right to a full, active life with meaningful friendships, relationships, marriage and parenthood
Right to be treated with respect as adults
Right to speak up about our own lives and be listened to
Right to have our say in decisions being made that affect people with learning disabilities in Wales
Right to equal opportunities
Right to live without fear of bullying
Right to paid work and support to get work if we need it
Right to express our own sexuality
Right to opinions
Right to information in a way we can understand it and to be informed
Right to vote
Right to be responsible for our own actions, to take risks and push boundaries
Right to say no
Right to education and to educate others
Right to health care and support
Right to live independently in the community
Right to control our own money
Principal Activities
Member Engagement
The National Council
The National Council met six times during this reporting period. The National Council increased the number of meetings from four to six following the abolition of the Regional Councils during the last reporting period. Four meetings were held in person, and two were held online. Online meetings focus on the organisation's Campaigning, Membership and Position Statements. National Council meetings were held on:
13th May (North Wales)
8th July (online) – diversity session
9th September (Swansea)
4th November (Cardiff)
13th January (online)
10 and 11th March (Caernarfon)
AdFest 2025
All Wales People First held its annual Festival ‘AdFest’, celebrating the contribution that people with learning disabilities can and do make in Wales, on the 24th and 25th of June 2025 at the Kinmel and Kinspa Hotel in Abergele. The event was called ‘Hidden Talents’ and was a great success. 97 people attended on day one, and 86 people attended on day two.
On day one, 24th June, we held our MIRROR Awards. Winners were:
Linton Gower Members award sponsored by Mencap Cymru: Sam Hall and Blaenau Gwent People First
James Tyler, Ideas by AtAutism
Zarah Kaleem and Antia Clasby, Rights Award sponsored by North Wales Together.
Jac Hughes Reflect award LDW.
Llwybrau Lleisant Organisation Award First Choice Housing.
Cwm Taf People First Review Award First Choice Housing.
CEO Special Award David Whittle.
All Wales People First also held its Annual General Meeting on day two, 25th June 2025.
AWPF Manifesto 2026
All Wales People First launched its political Manifesto for 2026 at the Future Inns Hotel in Cardiff on the 4th of November 2025. Mark Isherwood, MS, was the keynote speaker. The Manifesto has been used to influence discussion on a new Learning Disability Strategy for Wales. Priorities for the Manifesto are:
1) Self-advocacy
2) Housing and Support
3) Employment
4) Transport
5) Health
6) Equality
Self-Advocacy TV
The Member Engagement and Communication team worked together on Self-Advocacy TV, which engages members both in person and online to gather their views on a variety of issues. The information received from members informs consultation responses and position statements and keeps All Wales People First aware of the issues that are important to our members. Self-Advocacy TV is hosted by the AWPF Outreach Worker, Gerraint Jones-Griffiths.
Online sessions this period were:
25 April 2025 – Benefits
9 May 2025 – Welsh Language
6 June 2025 – Diversity
11 July 2025 – Disability Pride
26 September 2025 – Direct Payments
31 October 2025 – Halloween
28 November 2025 – No theme
30 January 2026 –what members think about News Updates
27 February 2026 – Member Feedback on our website
27 March 2026 – Senedd Elections
On location SATV sessions during this period were:
14 October 2025 – Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil
15 December 2025 – Newport People First – Choice
20 January 2026 – Your Scene, Pontardawe – Choice
26 January 2026 – Pembrokeshire People First – Senedd Elections
5 February 2026 – Bridgend People First – Senedd Elections
9 February 2026 – Cardiff People First – Senedd Elections
3 March 2026 – Caerphilly People First – AWPF Manifesto
Gerraint’s Nightclub
The AWPF Outreach worker, Gerraint Jones-Griffiths, continues to hold monthly nightclub events on Zoom. The idea of Nightclub is to keep members entertained and connected to one another, but it is also a good opportunity to consult with members on issues important to them.
Campaigning, Lobbying and Influencing
Influencing
Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group
All Wales People First continues to attend meetings of the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group (LDMAG). All Wales People First is represented by eight members with lived experience of learning disability, including the co-chair, Sophie Hinksman and the Chief Executive, Joe Powell. LDMAG reviewed progress on the Learning Disability Action Plan and discussed ideas for a successor plan. The outcome of a successor plan will depend on the result of the Welsh Assembly Elections in May 2026 and the priorities of the next Welsh Government.
The Chief Executive, Joe Powell, and the Co-Chair of the AWPF Board of Directors and LDMAG, Sophie Hinskman, chaired the last meetings of the ‘Homes not Hospitals’ subgroup looking into the inappropriate incarceration of people with learning disabilities and autism being placed into hospital and secure settings because the services they need could not be provided. The Chief Executive, along with members of the task and finish group, wrote a report on behalf of the group. It was called ‘From Hospitals to Homes’ and was published by the Welsh Government on the 20th January 2026. It was accompanied by a ministerial statement by Sarah Murphy, MS, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing. The Welsh Government also announced a transformation program to help address the inequalities.
Integrated Quality Statement for Wales
All Wales People First worked with Improvement Cymru on an ‘Integrated Quality statement for Wales’. The Integrated Quality statement is designed to ensure equal opportunities and quality of care for all people across the healthcare system. All Wales People First held several engagement events across Wales to feed in its members' views. A report was written by All Wales People First and submitted to Improvement Cymru. The report is now with policy officials. We hope to continue some of this work into the next reporting period.
Disability Equality Forum
The Chief Executive, Joe Powell, sits with other disabled people on the Disability Equality Forum. The Disability Equality Forum have been working in co-production with the Welsh Government on a new Disability People’s Rights Plan. The plan was put out to public consultation and has now been adopted and published by the Welsh Government. A new forum, the External Advisory Board, has been formed to oversee the implementation of the plan. Joe Powell is a member of this board.
Care Inspectorate Wales Training
All Wales People First worked with the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (B.I.L.D) to deliver four of six training sessions to Care Inspectorate Wales on identifying good person-centered practice. This work could possibly be extended to co-produce a resource for Care Inspectorate Wales.
Diversity
The Member Engagement Team worked with the University of South Wales on a project exploring how people with learning disabilities from minoritised communities access advocacy. An article by the lead researcher, Dr Edward Oloidi, titled ‘Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Advocacy and Inclusion for Minoritised Communities with Learning Disabilities in Wales.’ This work is important in helping address some of the barriers to inclusion identified in the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
Additional Activities
In addition to this, the Chief Executive, Joe Powell, sits on the following groups:
Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group (LDMAG)
Disability Equality Forum
Disability Taskforce
Cross-Party Group on disability
Cross-party group on learning disability
LD Consortium third sector meetings
Board Member of the British Institute of Human Rights
Member of the Neurodivergence Ministerial Advisory Group.
Learning Disability and Cognitive Impairment resources steering group
Wales Restrictive Practice Group.
National Mental Capacity Forum
FCG Radical Redesign Cop
CIFL Research Co-Production
Disability Confident Focus Group
Steering Group – Resources to support strength-based practices.
Co-Chair of LDMAG Sub-Group on Stolen Lives.
No more deaths from disability benefits cuts group.
Disability Wales Board member.
Henry Smith advocacy research panel.
Long stay hospitalisation and out-of-area placements. Discussion meetings.
Bring People Home from Hospital network.
Inclusion London.
Radical Redesign Community of Practice.
Good Life Alliance
Autism Central
Member of the Editorial Board of ‘Neurodiversity’ magazine.
Good Life Alliance.
Member of Autism Central.
The Chief Executive was also one of the co-authors of the updated SPELL Framework on Autism. This will be published in the next reporting period.
In addition to this and in line with our commitment to increase member representation of AWPF, members represented AWPF on:
Co-Chair of the Community of Practice, Behaviours of Concern (COP), Gerraint Jones-Griffiths.
Board of Learning Disability Wales: James Tyler
CARE: Chloe Cannon
SPINN: (Severe Period Pain is not Normal): Hannah Thomas
Amy Jones: Annual Health Checks
Campaigning and Lobbying
Bring Our People Back Home from Hospital Protest.
On the 5th of May 2025, All Wales People First met with self-advocates from across the United Kingdom to protest the number of people with learning disabilities across the United Kingdom who are being placed into inappropriate hospitals and secure settings because the services they are entitled to cannot be provided. The protest included a march from Parliament Square to the Department of Social Care in Westminster to hand in a letter to Baroness Merton requesting a meeting to discuss the issues. Co-Chair of the AWPF Board of Directors, Sophie Hinksman and the Chief Executive delivered a speech at the event.
DPAC Mass Lobby on Welfare Cuts
On the 21st of May 2025, All Wales People First travelled with Disability Wales to a UK-wide lobby of MP’s in Westminster about concerns about proposed Welfare Cuts and their impact on disabled people. Chief Executive Joe Powell spoke to his own MP, Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East, about his concerns about the impact on people with learning disabilities in Wales.
Cashless Society Protest
On the 17th March, All Wales People First joined a protest march organised by Torfaen People First outside the Senedd to ask the Welsh Government to encourage Businesses to accept cash as well as card payments.
Position Statements
All Wales People First worked with its members to produce organisational position statements. 3 Position statements were produced, and they focused on:
Benefits & support
Assisted dying
How to work in co-production with members
Consultations
All Wales People First responded to six consultations during this reporting period. The consultations were informed by member experiences from the National Council, Self-Advocacy TV, member stories, video interviews and individual member consultation sessions. Consultations responded to were:
UK: Evidence on Assisted Suicide Bill
UK: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits & Support
WG: Draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan
WG: Using direct payments for health & social care
Draft Quality Statement for People with a Learning Disability
WG: Minimum Digital Standards
Communications
Social Media
All Wales People First has continued to be very active in promoting a range of important events regarding disabled people and important religious and cultural events. Events covered included:
Passover
Mental Health Awareness Week
St Saras day, patron saint of Roma and displaced people
National Inclusion Week
Yom Kippur
Black History Month
Hate Crime Awareness Week
Inclusion Week
Diwali
Islamophobia Awareness Month
Hanukkah
LGBTQ History Month
Maha Shivaratri
Chinese New Year
Ramadan
Learning Disability Awareness Week
Autism Awareness Week
Downs Syndrome Awareness Week
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Human Rights Day, 10th December, AWPF with BIHR calling for the Prime Minister to protect Human Rights for all.
Learning Disability Nurses Day
All Wales People First also contributed to Mencap Cymru’s ‘State of the Nation Report’, which looked at the challenges people with learning disabilities faced in Wales.
Talkback
All Wales People First decided to reduce the publication of Talkback from 4 to 2 editions per year. Talkback editions would now be sent electronically, rather than digitally, unless requested. Talkback editions were published in Spring and Autumn 2025.
Topics covered by Talkback included:
· Consultation about Benefit and Support.
· Talkback Review.
· 2025 Annual General Meeting.
· National Council updates from the Chair.
· 2026 Manifesto.
· AdFest.
· Out and About with Gerraint.
· Members' articles.
· Chief Executive’s updates.
· Through Our Eyes on Tour.
· News from Groups.
· Facebook Roundup.
AWPF Website
All Wales People First regularly updates its website. This includes:
· Updates to organisational policies to be shared with local groups
· Editions of Talkback magazine
· Members Stories.
· AWPF MIRROR Strategy
· AWPF Diversity Strategy
· Joe’s Soapbox
· Through Our Eyes photography project image library.
Through Our Eyes on Tour
All Wales People First continued to tour and promote its successful ‘Through Our Eyes’ photography project across Wales. Events were held at:
· International Day of Disability, Cardiff University, 3rd December.
· Arts Factory, Maerdy, 2nd March 2026.
Additional photoshoots were held with members to add more Diverse pictures to the Through Our Eyes library.
The Organisation
The 2026-2029 Mirror Strategy
On the 12th of May 2025, All Wales People First published its’ Mirror Strategy for 2026-2029 ‘We are People First’. The Mirror Strategy is the organisation's Business Plan and is structured around the MIRROR Principles of self-advocacy. The strategy has been updated on the AWPF Website.
The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors met 4 times this year. The Directors reviewed the Board's format on the 30th of January 2026. This discussion will continue to the next reporting period, and proposed changes will be delivered to the National Council for approval.
Diversity
All Wales People First published its first-ever Diversity Strategy on the 6th of August 2025. All Wales People First is committed to ensuring that all people from all backgrounds have access to self-advocacy and feel welcome in All Wales People First.
Policies and Procedures
All Wales People First continues to review and update its policies and procedures with support from Thomas Carroll management services.
Policies on salaries and AI have been reviewed during this reporting period. The staff handbook has also been updated in this reporting period to reflect changes in legislation.
Updated policies have been uploaded to the AWPF website and are accessible to local self-advocacy groups.
National Council, Policy and Communication and Finance and Business Strategies.
In March 2026, All Wales People First reviewed its National Council, Policy and Communication and Finance and Business Strategies.
The National Council was reviewed by the Vice Chair of the National Council, Kurtis Marshall, the Member Engagement Manager, Tracey Drew, and the Chief Executive, Joe Powell. It was then presented, amended accordingly and signed off by the National Council at the meeting on the 10th of March 2026.
Other Projects
Trading Arm
Work on a trading arm for All Wales People First was suspended during this reporting period because of the uncertainty regarding the funding of All Wales People First. The trading arm will resume once the organisation's future is clearer.
Diversity
All Wales People First is looking to put together a bid for a project to increase the diversity of its membership and to involve more people in self-advocacy.
Welsh language
We produced bilingual Welsh and English language documents and content in line with our grant obligations and our Welsh language policy.
The directors report was approved by the Board of Directors.
In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of All Wales People First for the year ended 31 March 2026, which comprise the statement of financial activities and the related notes from the company’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.
This report is made to the company's directors, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter dated 3 April 2025. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of All Wales People First and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the company's directors, as a body, in this report in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release 07/16 AAF. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than All Wales People First and the company's directors as a body, for our work or for this report.
It is your duty to ensure that All Wales People First has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and surplus of All Wales People First. You consider that All Wales People First is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year, and is not required to obtain an independent examiner's report.
We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of All Wales People First. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
All Wales People first is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Ty Derw, Lime Tree Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8AB.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Exemption from preparing a cash flow statement
Exemption has been taken from preparing a cash flow statement on the grounds that the company qualifies as a small company.
The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the company is able to carry on business as a going concern, which the directors consider appropriate.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the directors in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
The policies followed, which deal with income, voluntary assistance and donations, are:
i) cash donations, gift and legacies are included in full in the statement of financial activities and summary income and expenditure account as soon as they are received, except for gifts and legacies for permanent endowment funds, which are account for along with other such finds, with only the income received on such assets being included in the statement of financial activities and summary income and expenditure account.
ii) cash received from fund raising events is included in the statement of financial activities and summary income and expenditure account as soon as it is received by the directors.
iii) grants receivable are included in the statement of financial activates and summary income and expenditure account as soon as they are received.
iv) donations in kind, e.g. facilities, are not valued for accounting purposes. Where donations in kind are judged to be material however, the extent of such support would be disclosed in a separate note.
v) investment income dividends and bank account interest are included in the statement of financial activates and summary income and expenditure account when they are receivable as a gross amount is receivable gross or and amount which includes tax credits receivable from in Inland Revenue if receivable net of tax.
vi) all income is included as a gross amount, not net of any expenses.
Expenditure is included in the financial statements as it become receivable or due.
Expenditure include VAT where applicable as the company cannot reclaim it.
Fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. The cost of fixed assets is written off in equal annual instalments over their estimated useful lives as follows:
At each reporting end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Other Income
Conference income
Direct Expenditure
None of the directors (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the company during the year.
6 directors (2025: 4) were reimbursed for expenses as part of their director roles totalling £405 (2025: £349) during the year. Expenses relate to travel and subsistence costs.
The average monthly number employees during the year was:
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.
The income funds of the company include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:
BAME was funding from the University of South Wales, as part of their civic activity fund. This was to enhance engagement & participation among individuals with a learning disability from ethnic minority communities.
Disabled rights plan funding was from the Disabled People’s Inclusion Team at Welsh Government. Consultation events were held with members on the Disabled People's Rights Plan.
Quality Statement funding was from NHS Wales Learning Disability team to hold consultation events with members across Wales. Members were consulted on a draft quality statement.
CARE is paid by Cardiff University to recruit and support a member representative for the CARE Public Investment Advisory Board.
North Wales Flyers funding was for a project in North Wales to improve self-advocacy in the northen counties.
NW Participation Work funding was for project work for a learning disability employment strategy review.
At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2025 - none).