Partnership working is at the heart of who we are and what we do at UNA Exchange. For over forty years we have worked with third sector organisations across Wales and the wider world to deliver international volunteering opportunities that benefit individuals and communities in pursuit of our mission of a globally responsible Wales.
Funding partners
Our core funding at UNA Exchange comes from Welsh Government through the National Voluntary Youth Organisations (NVYO) Grants Scheme that supports the provision and development of quality Youth Work opportunities for young people aged 11 to 25 years.
Additional funding from Welsh Government and administered by the WCVA, through the Volunteering Wales grant scheme, allows us to deliver our Supported Volunteering programme.
Significant funding is also received from the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme, which is administered by the British Council and Ecorys UK.
Membership of national networks
UNA Exchange is a member of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS). Our Director represents UNA Exchange at the National Assembly Cross-Party Group on Wales International and VINE UK, the network of UK charities offering international volunteer exchange programmes. UNA Exchange is also a member of Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development.
CWVYS (Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services) is the representative body for the voluntary youth sector in Wales. It is an independent charitable body that promotes quality youth work and represents the interests of its membership and the wider sector.
International partners
UNA Exchange is a founding member of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations, which was established in 1982. The Alliance represents national voluntary service organisations that promote intercultural understanding, peace, democratic participation and equality, in the spirit of respect for universal human rights.
We are also a member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), which is affiliated to UNESCO. Through membership of CCIVS we partner with 100s of not-for-profit organisations around the world that work to develop and empower local communities.
Temple of Peace partners
UNA Exchange has a long association with the Temple of Peace in Cardiff, where the charity has been based since it was founded in 1973. The Temple was opened in 1938, through the vision of Lord Davies of Llandinam, for the purposes of promoting international peace and cooperation. Over the past 80 years the Temple has been home to the Welsh League of Nations Union, the Welsh National Council of the United Nations Association and the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, amongst other organisations promoting a globally responsible Wales. Drawing on our shared values, UNA Exchange continues to collaborate with Temple colleagues at the WCIA, Size of Wales, Fair Trade Wales and Hub Cymru Africa.