About Us
Oxfam Cymru is the voice of all Oxfam’s work in Wales – existing to end poverty and suffering in Wales, across the UK, and internationally.
The team
Our Oxfam Cymru head office is in Cardiff. Visit the meet the team page on our website to meet our staff.
Our Work in Wales
Poverty in Wales
Latest figures show that 1 in 4 people in Wales live in relative income poverty, and this figure has remained largely unchanged for a decade.
An estimated 29% of children live in poverty – more than two thirds of which live in households where at least one person is in work.
25% of jobs pay below the real Living Wage.
1 in 6 people who are referred to food banks are in work.
Fighting for Equality in Wales
Oxfam works to put women at the heart of all we do, and core to tackling poverty in Wales, is tackling pervasive gender inequality.
In 2019 Oxfam Cymru produced Wales’ first feminist scorecard in partnership with the Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales. The Scorecard provides a snapshot of Welsh Government performance in six policy areas that are of key concern to women in Wales, and a benchmark from which we can measure the Welsh Government’s progress towards becoming a ‘feminist government’.
Fighting for Food and Climate Justice in Wales
Wales has witnessed a huge increase in people accessing food banks in recent years, and Oxfam Cymru has been working with partners on the right to food agenda. We helped create the South Wales Food Poverty Alliance and produce their influential report: Food Poverty in South Wales, A Call to Action. This report revealed a startling picture of food poverty within Wales. The shocking figures have prompted action across Wales. The report also made a number of recommendations to Welsh Government which we are also working to take forward.
Oxfam Cymru is part of Stop Climate Chaos Cymru which is a coalition of civil groups from across society committed to taking action in Wales to combat climate change. Oxfam Cymru help to co-ordinate campaign activities as part of this coalition, for example action in relation to the UK Earth Strike in 2019.
Global Citizenship Education
Oxfam Cymru advocates to promote global citizenship in education, providing teachers with the tools, training and support to deliver this through the classroom and engaging with young people in schools through active citizenship programmes. Oxfam Cymru promotes inclusivity by providing education resources bilingually including on Welsh Government digital learning platform the Hwb.
We work with the examination board WJEC to develop resources for the Welsh Baccalaureate, for example, on Decent Work for Women in Wales and the World.
Global Responsibility
Oxfam Cymru works with a range of partners to ensure Wales fulfils its commitment of global responsibility. As Chair of the Wales Overseas Agencies Group we work with Welsh Government and partners to ensure that global responsibility is at the heart of our work. .
As a leading member of the Welsh Refugee Coalition, Oxfam Cymru has been driving the ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ agenda in Wales – ensuring that Wales offers a warm welcome to refugees and asylum seekers. This work includes celebrating the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers in Wales, for example, through the annual Sanctuary in the Senedd event.
Tackling poverty in Wales
As secretariat for the Cross Party Group on Poverty in the National Assembly for Wales, Oxfam Cymru plays a key convening role with partners on domestic poverty. In 2019/20 the group’s activities have delivered a successful Individual Members Debate on Poverty in the Senedd, and have met with the Future Generations Commissioner.
We undertake a range of advocacy activities on Welsh poverty related enquiries and consultations. During the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee enquiry into the devolution of social security to Wales, we provided evidence, including bringing the voice of a Universal Credit claimant to the enquiry table during an oral evidence session in the Assembly
For more information contact us.