From Local Roots to National Change: Shaping the Next Senedd Together

We know that community organisations play an increasingly prominent role across many parts of Wales, reimagining what support, connection and local resilience looks like.

While aspects of our social infrastructure have long been run by not-for-profit organisations (such as sports clubs and places of worship) often locally controlled, the scope and scale of activity under community control has expanded dramatically in the last two decades.

Today, community-run social infrastructure includes gardens and green spaces, community centres, arts venues and theatres, libraries, cafés and pubs, sports centres, and even a few swimming pools.

These spaces are home to a growing range of social activities that not only bring people together for enjoyment and connection at affordable prices but also provide vital forms of support. The range of activities is vast; everything from youth projects and services for older people, to initiatives supporting disabled people, and access to financial, legal and health advice. Emergency food projects, affordable clothing, and much more are all part of this mix. Over time and often without fanfare community-run spaces have become a lifeline, particularly in areas facing economic hardship.

Almost all of these initiatives are run by local people some paid, most not. This gives them a uniquely people-centred, flexible approach that larger, more standardised organisations can struggle to match. As a trustee from one BCT-funded group put it:

“We’re the ones the council turns to when everything else has closed and someone is in crisis, as we never really close.”

This enhanced role became even more visible during the pandemic, when community volunteers stepped up to deliver vital practical and emotional support to isolated and vulnerable people at a time when many other services had shut down.

Yet, despite their enormous contribution, community groups are rarely recognised in policymaking. Their voices often go unheard not because they are silent, but because their focus is on delivering valued services and activities locally, rather than engaging with and influencing politicians.

There has, however, been some progress. So far, the 2021–26 Senedd term has included a Ministerial Statement and commitments to developing a Communities Policy, alongside several debates, a committee inquiry, and a Task and Finish Group focused on Community Assets. But despite these developments, communities are still waiting to see meaningful, tangible support on the ground.

We aim to change this.
This year, we are working with County Voluntary Councils and local community networks, to host a national conversation, rooted in local realities. We are committed to amplifying community voices and experiences in the lead-up to the Senedd elections next May.

This month in Denbigh, we launched a series of events that will travel across Wales—from Shotton to Pembrokeshire and Llangefni to Newport—bringing together local community groups to discuss the issues that matter most to them.

At each stop we’ll explore what’s working, what’s not, and what change could look like if policy truly reflected supported local community action. The focus will be on how government policies and practices, both national and local, help or hinder the work communities are doing to enhance wellbeing. Much of this work is delivered in partnership with public bodies, so it’s vital that policy supports and enables, rather than obstructs, community-led action.

Around 20 events are planned, giving hundreds of community organisations from across Wales the opportunity to have their say and contribute to a Manifesto for Communities.

Once the workshops are completed, we’ll “sense check” the findings with participants before developing the final manifesto. This document will be used both to influence the manifestos of Welsh political parties and to stand as a published, community-designed vision giving local organisations a stronger voice in shaping the policies that affect the communities they work so hard to support.

This isn’t just about influencing party manifestos ahead of next May’s Senedd elections. It’s about understanding and amplifying the wisdom, experience and vision that already exists in our communities and making sure it helps shape the policies of tomorrow.

Want to find out more about BCT’s manifesto work? Get in touch with our Policy and Research Advisor, Eleri Williams