Platfform

17/06/2026

Thank you to all who stopped to talk to us, were curious about our work and shared their experiences today. We really appreciate connecting with colleagues across the sector and beyond. We’re looking forward to following up on our conversations.

Thank you to WCVA CGGC team for organising the conference and facilitating the opportunities to meet.

17/06/2026

15/06/2026

We were so lucky to have a wonderful, sunny weekend in Cardiff - the perfect backdrop to the Pride Cymru parade through the city! We loved being part of the Tai Pawb contingent and the event was a happy, warm and welcoming occasion, with lots of smiles and laughter along the way. That's what community is all about, and fundamental for good mental health. Thank you to everyone who showed up and to those who popped into our Welfare Tent on the field, it was lovely to see you! ❤️

11/06/2026

Meet Ted, Platfform's Therapy Bear🤎

As part of our wider commitment to improving mental health support for children and young people, our team of counsellors and wellbeing practitioners are now using a simple but powerful tool to transform how young people engage with mental‑health support in Swansea schools.

👉 Read the full story here: https://platfform.org/5752-2/

05/06/2026

Mabon ap Gwynfor’s statement as Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Health and Care this week is an important step towards improving our health services. The commitment to expanding community care so more people live well closer to home is necessary in achieving mental health transformation.

Our current system is under significant pressure and was not designed to meet the level of demand we’re now seeing – particularly in mental health. We need a bold change in our approach if we are to fix this.

Only 20% of our health outcomes are determined by clinical factors.

The other 80% is determined by factors outside of that, including where we live, work, what resource we have, what we eat and our social connections.

This means addressing mental health issues cannot just be the business of mental health services – it’s everyone’s responsibility.

And when people do need support, we need a mental health system that is same day accessible, needs led and takes a relational approach.

We look forward to working with the new Welsh Government and partners across Wales to help make these changes a reality.

https://www.gov.wales/new-health-minister-sets-out-bold-plans-nhs-wales

03/06/2026

We share the concerns raised by Mind, Mencap, and National Autistic Society following this recent judgement, and will work with partners to continue to support and empower those who need it.

Platfform believe human rights are and should always be universal.

https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/the-biggest-rollback-of-disability-rights-in-a-generation-charities-respond-to-supreme-court-ruling/

03/06/2026

Research shows that volunteering in the community has a positive effect on wellbeing and can improve mental health. Feeling valued and learning new skills to build confidence can be life changing. Following a referral from GAVO, our team supported Amy* into a volunteer role after she arrived in Caerphilly without any real connection to the place. She struggled to integrate, and didn't feel she had the confidence to take her next steps. Amy's experience shows how small steps can change the course of someone’s life.

👉 Follow the link to read her story https://platfform.org/blog/.

*name changed to protect identity


GAVO - Blaenau Gwent
GAVO - Newport

01/06/2026

What do our volunteers value?

The volunteers we support tell us that being a part of their community helps them to feel connected. It gives them a sense of belonging.

Last year we participated in over 165 wellbeing events, workshops and drop-in hubs across Gwent and Caerphilly and supported many people back to work. We do this by helping them to develop skills and confidence in a variety of voluntary roles.

To find out more, contact [email protected] to take your next steps.

GAVO - Newport
GAVO - Blaenau Gwent

01/06/2026

Join our Hope and Healing team as the Communities and Development Manager for Wales!

You will play a key role in our communities-based and system-changing work in Wales. You’ll also provide project management across this work, overseeing delivery and ensuring strong compliance and safe working.

You’ll support colleagues to deliver our Communities of Hope work, using this as a starting point for developing and delivering our work with systems. You’ll be skilled at developing relationships with stakeholders at different levels of the system, including being able to offer challenge and work alongside people to create change.

Further details can be found here: https://bit.ly/4fYAEjw

28/05/2026

Join our Hope and Healing team as the Campaigns and Communications Lead!

You will lead the Campaign for Hope strand of activity as part of our Hope and Healing project.

You’ll bring knowledge and experience of a range of campaigning and approaches that can create change at different levels of the system, from communities to policy levels, and support the Hope and Healing partnership to use learning and relationships from the project to campaign for and create change.

You can find out more info about the role here: https://bit.ly/42X8vBY