Media Academy Cymru

What Media Academy Cymru does

Media Academy Cymru (MAC) is a Welsh not-for-profit, voluntary children and young people’s organisation founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cardiff. It supports children and young people (CYP) aged 5-25 across Wales through a portfolio of criminal-justice diversion, accredited education, and youth-support services. Its most distinctive contribution is the creation of both the 10-17 and 18-25 Triage diversion programmes in Wales — statutory out-of-court and voluntary arrest referral pathways delivered with South Wales Police and Gwent Police — through which it has diverted over 10,000 CYP from the criminal justice system since inception, and engaged over 30,000 CYP in total.

The organisation’s core operational technology is a restorative, media-led engagement methodology that uses filmmaking, game development, photography and creative production as an outreach hook, paired with structured case-management frameworks such as the seven-stage Trauma Recovery Model (Enhanced Case Management), co-developed with Youth Justice Board Cymru, Welsh Government, Youth Offending Teams and the All Wales Forensic Adolescent Consultation and Treatment Service. MAC also delivers BTEC Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications in Filmmaking, Game Development, Photography and Media through a long-standing partnership with Cardiff and Vale College, and operates the Peer Action Collective (PAC Cymru) youth-led research network and the Young Carers Pembrokeshire Support service, including the Young Carers ID Card (YCID) scheme.

Revenue derives entirely from grants and statutory contracts with Welsh Government, the Youth Endowment Fund, the National Lottery Community Fund, the South Wales Police Crime Commissioner, the Youth Justice Board, four Welsh local authorities, Cardiff and Vale College, and charitable foundations. Services are delivered at no direct cost to end users, with customer acquisition driven by referrals from statutory partners (police, local authorities, youth offending services, schools) rather than commercial marketing. Distribution is direct, face-to-face, and Wales-wide, with active delivery in Cardiff, Barry, Newport, Merthyr, Bridgend, Swansea and twelve South Wales/Gwent local authority areas.

Name

Media Academy Cymru

Legal name

Media Academy Cymru

Website

https://mediaacademycymru.wales

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Media Academy Cymru is a Cardiff-based not-for-profit, founded in 2010, that uses media-led engagement to divert children and young people in Wales from the criminal justice system and deliver accredited BTEC training and youth-support services funded by statutory grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Diversion Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

Keywords

• Youth diversion programs
• Criminal justice diversion
• Accredited media education
• Young people support services
• Restorative youth work

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant and Contract Funding: As a not-for-profit voluntary organisation, MAC's primary revenue consists of grant funding from a wide variety of statutory and charitable sources. Main funders include Youth Endowment Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Welsh Government, South Wales Police Crime Commissioner, Cardiff and Vale College, local authorities (Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Newport, Swansea), charitable foundations (Screwfix Foundation, Rayne Foundation), and public bodies (Youth Justice Board, Violence Prevention Wales). Funding is used to deliver criminal justice diversion, education, training, and youth support programmes.
2. Accredited Education and Training: MAC delivers BTEC courses (Level 1 and Level 2 in Film, Media, Filmmaking, Games Design, Photography) in partnership with Cardiff and Vale College, offering recognised qualifications in creative subjects to students aged 16-25 who are unable to access mainstream education. Revenue flows through this partnership arrangement for accredited learning delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Media Academy Cymru is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation that delivers youth diversion, media-led engagement, and accredited education programmes for children and young people (aged 5-25) across Wales. Its core services include the 10-17 and 18-25 Triage criminal justice diversion programmes, the Peer Action Collective (PAC Cymru) network, Young Carers Support Pembrokeshire, and BTEC courses in Filmmaking, Games Design, Photography and Media delivered in partnership with Cardiff and Vale College. Services are delivered free at point of use to young people referred via Police, Local Authorities, Youth Offending Services, schools, and self-referrals.

Product overview

Media Academy Cymru is a Welsh multi-award winning organization offering a portfolio of social services and educational programs for children and young people. The organization operates as a unified service provider comprising two main pillars: (1) Direct support services including Peer Action Collective (PAC Cymru), Young Adult Service (18-25 Triage), Young Carers Support Pembrokeshire, and specialized programs like Cerridwen, Parallel Lives, Delivering Resilience, Braver Choices, and Positive Masculinity; and (2) Accredited BTEC education programs in creative subjects (Filmmaking, Game Development, Photography, Media) delivered in partnership with Cardiff and Vale College for students aged 16-25. MAC also produces commissioned films covering topics like criminal justice diversion, enhanced case management, and children's rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peer Action Collective (PAC Cymru): A multi-award-winning, pioneering network of young people dedicated to creating positive change in their communities through innovative research and proactive action.

Products and services

• Peer Action Collective (PAC Cymru) A pioneering network of young people conducting research and driving social action on youth violence and criminal justice issues, supporting those who have experienced the criminal justice system.
• Young Adult Service (formerly 18-25 Triage) A service supporting young adults aged 18-25 who are offending or at risk of offending, operating across South Wales and Gwent, offering diversion from the Criminal Justice System through case management and support.
• Young Carers Support Pembrokeshire A service supporting children and young people aged 5-25 who help care for family members with additional care or support needs, providing identification cards, support groups, peer support, respite activities, and assistance navigating caring responsibilities.
• BTEC Level 2 Filmmaking A Level 2 BTEC course in filmmaking taught by experienced filmmakers, offering a pathway to further education in partnership with Cardiff and Vale College for students aged 16-25 unable to access mainstream education.
• BTEC Level 2 Games Design and Development A Level 2 BTEC course in game design where students create games for real-life briefs, learning research, prototyping, coding, art, audio, story, launching and marketing.
• BTEC Level 1 Film & Media An introductory Level 1 course in media and filmmaking covering writing, directing, shooting, audio recording, animation, editing, and post-production.
• BTEC Level 1 Media Skills & Content Creation A Level 1 qualification at Barry Campus focusing on practical skills including photography, media products, podcasting, filmmaking, animation, and advertising campaigns.
• BTEC Level 2 Photography A full-time Level 2 Photography course introducing key aspects of photography, image, lens, moving image, graphics and digital communication, equivalent to 3 GCSEs.
• Cerridwen A support programme for children and young people, used as a named programme offering within MAC's service portfolio.
• Parallel Lives A programme supporting young people and addressing issues related to the criminal justice system, used as evidence in informing the Wales Without Violence Framework.
• Delivering Resilience A resilience-building programme for children and young people, supporting emotional and psychological coping skills.
• Braver Choices A programme supporting young people in making positive life choices, delivered as part of MAC's intervention portfolio.
• Positive Masculinity A programme focused on promoting positive masculinity among young people, supporting healthier attitudes and behaviours.
• Working Together for Children (WT4C) A collaborative service programme working with children and families in partnership with statutory agencies.
• Understanding Violent Behaviours Services Services focused on understanding and addressing violent behaviours among young people, contributing evidence used in the Wales Without Violence Framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 children and young people diverted away from the criminal justice system
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cardiff and Vale CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing education partner since 2010, delivering holistic, accredited BTEC training programmes (Filmmaking, Game Development, Photography, Media) for students aged 16-25. Partnership allows MAC to offer recognised qualifications alongside its youth work.
• Cardiff CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner and funder supporting MAC's delivery of services in Cardiff.
• Vale of Glamorgan CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner and funder. Also the base for the Youth Offending Service partnership.
• Newport City CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner and funder supporting delivery of services in Newport.
• Swansea CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner and funder supporting delivery of services in Swansea.
• Violence Prevention Wales (Wales Violence Prevention Unit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAC co-produced the Wales Without Violence Framework with the Wales Violence Prevention Unit. PAC Cymru works with VPU across Wales with thousands of young people and professionals to create systemic change.
• WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership body for the voluntary sector in Wales, supporting MAC's third sector coordination.
• 1910 TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable trust funder supporting MAC's youth programmes.
• C3SC (Cardiff Third Sector Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardiff third sector infrastructure organisation supporting the local voluntary sector community.
• University of South WalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner supporting MAC's programmes and initiatives.
• CWVYS (Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Voluntary Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure body for the voluntary sector in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
• One Wales Women's ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation to which female young adults may be allocated for the same level of support as MAC's Young Adult Service, depending on individual needs.
• Vale of Glamorgan Youth Offending ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatutory partner for criminal justice diversion and youth offending prevention programmes, working with MAC on case management and early intervention.
• Pembrokeshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for the Young Carers Pembrokeshire Support service, working closely with MAC to deliver support for young carers across Pembrokeshire.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catch22: UK charity operating across justice, education, and social care, including youth justice diversion services and alternative education programmes. Highly comparable to MAC's blend of criminal justice diversion (Triage) and creative engagement with vulnerable CYP.
• Nacro: UK charity focused on crime prevention, rehabilitation, education, and housing for disadvantaged young people and adults. Directly comparable to MAC's youth justice diversion and education/training offer, competing for similar statutory and Youth Endowment Fund grants.
• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity delivering education, training, and employment support to disadvantaged 11-30 year olds. Comparable to MAC in combining accredited learning with youth work for at-risk cohorts, though operating at much larger UK-wide scale.
• YMCA Wales: Wales-focused federation of YMCA organisations delivering youth work, education, housing, and health programmes to children and young people across Welsh communities. Comparable geographic footprint and beneficiary base to MAC, with overlapping statutory and local authority funding sources.

Broad incumbents

• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities with a broad portfolio spanning fostering, advocacy, mental health, and youth justice. Overlapping mission with MAC but far broader scope and deeper national/local authority reach; functions as an incumbent across most of MAC's service areas.

Regional players

• Children in Wales: Welsh umbrella body promoting the rights and welfare of children, young people, and families. Comparable Wales-only focus and policy-influence orientation to MAC, though it operates as an infrastructure/advocacy body rather than a direct service provider.
• Safer Wales: Welsh organisation working on violence prevention, domestic abuse, and community safety, including youth-focused programmes. Comparable Wales-only mission, statutory funding base, and overlap with MAC's violence prevention and diversion work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MACcymru
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mediaacademycymru5013
• Facebookfacebook.com/mediaacademycymru
• Instagraminstagram.com/mediaacademycymru
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media-academy-cymru

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Media Academy Cymru