Dear Friend,

Today, 5 March 2026, One Voice Wales launches its Manifesto for the Community and Town Council sector in Wales ahead of the election to the Senedd this May.

There are 731 Community and Town Councils in Wales, representing this tier of government closest to the people. They cover approximately 94% of the land area and 70% of the population of Wales.

Community and Town Councils are the most local part of our democracy and play an integral role in the functioning of communities in Wales. They provide our neighbourhoods, villages and towns with a democratic voice and a structure for taking action – real people power at grassroots level.

One Voice Wales is building stronger communities for Wales –- but we need more local democracy with more empowered people and places. We want to work with the next Welsh Government to turn this vision into a reality – this is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to citizen-led action, which protects local assets and services and delivers responsive services based on local priorities.

We have set out below how working with the Community and Town Council sector can help to address these critical issues and how the new government can support the sector by supporting the following ‘5 Asks’:

1. Commit to taking forward the recommendations of the
   Senedd Inquiry Report (March 2025) into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector
2. Empower Communities
3. Diverse Funding
4. Strengthening Local Leadership
5. Building Capacity & Capability

The need for action in the next term of the Senedd is clear.

You can read our manifesto here; it includes a range of policy ideas to unlock the power and potential of communities by helping community and town councils flourish in pursuing better lives for their residents – an opportunity for a historic turning point within the community and town council sector in the next term of our national Senedd across many thematic policy areas, from community resilience and the cost of living to biodiversity and community transport.

I very much hope you will support our calls. If you would like to discuss our document or require further information about any of our policies and consultations, please do get in touch.

Yours sincerely,

Lyn Cadwallader
Chief Executive