Good to catch up on this week's #Senedd debate on Social Cohesion, following ESJ Inquiry led by Committee Chair @jennyrathbone.bsky.social. A focus on building social capital and social infrastructure is essential to strengthening cohesion in Wales. Read our blog for more: tinyurl.com/yf462jtr

Labour MSs have written to the Prime Minister raising significant concerns about the UK Government's interference with devolved responsibilities and its failure to move forward with plans to devolve further powers to Wales ✍️Emily Price

🚀 Heddiw rydym yn lansio Cymunedau Cymreig Ffyniannus - maniffesto a luniwyd gan bobl sy'n gwybod beth sydd ei angen ar gymunedau i ffynnu. 🫶 Mae'n galw ar Gymru i roi gweithredu dan arweiniad y gymuned wrth wraidd ein dyfodol cenedlaethol. 👉 Mwy yma: tinyurl.com/4x872d2z

🚀 Today we launch Thriving Welsh Communities - a manifesto shaped by people across Wales who know what their communities need to thrive. 🫶 It it sets out a clear call for Wales to put community-led action at the heart of our national future. 👉 Read more here: tinyurl.com/5ujxavmf

Planning ahead? Start 2026 with some fantastic training to build your co-production practice.

The Future Generations Commissioner has called for a new  Community Right to Buy Bill, warning that much-loved pubs, parks, religious buildings, village halls & heritage buildings could be lost forever unless communities are given a fair chance to save them. 🔗 futuregenerations.wales/news/give-co...

Looking forward to seeing how this could play out in Wales: www.gov.uk/government/n... Pleased to see a firm stance on the need for genuine involvement of community groups in decision-making around spending plans.

Here is one example of how volunteers run community assets and sustain vital social infrastructure: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @bctwales.bsky.social has plenty of others. Here's our community assets map🗺️ 🔗https://bit.ly/41TbkUn and a series of case studies 🔗https://bit.ly/3HP2i3Q

@iologjones.bsky.social yn Gymraeg hefyd!

If you couldn't make it to one of our 16 workshops across Wales, but want to share your thoughts about the actions the next Welsh Government should take to help your community group or organisation make even more impact, you still have time to get involved!

🎙️ Have your say in shaping a manifesto for communities. We are gathering ideas from the ground up – starting with you. Fill in our survey and help build a future for Wales that reflects real voices. 👉https://shorturl.at/UVBVv #Senedd2026

Haia @iologjones.bsky.social neis iawn am cysylltu gyda ti yma!

Amongst all the #SpendingReview noise yesterday, the announcement of 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods seems to have gone rather under the radar. The 'cohort' will include devolved neighbourhoods and in England at least, there is real potential to boost the impact with the Community Wealth Fund.

Looking forward to this #CoproConversation as part of @bctwales.bsky.social work building a manifesto for communities. Tell us what the next Welsh Government needs to know (and do) to support co-production and cross-sectoral working!

Great work from @jrf-uk.bsky.social and Bevan Foundation Poverty in Wales report published today. Good to hear recognition for the work of community groups in imagining (and providing) an alternative, where wealth is kept in communities. 🔗https://www.jrf.org.uk/poverty-in-wales-2025

This is great news for doubly-disadvantaged communities in England. With additional funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, this means approx. £175m for a Community Wealth Fund (CWF) targeting doubly disadvantaged communities experiencing high deprivation and low social infrastructure.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🚨 How can local voices shape national change? Ahead of #Parliament2026 we are exploring how communities across Wales can help influence the next chapter of politics and democracy. Our new blog is a must-read for anyone concerned about bottom-up democracy: shorturl.at/0nFu7

Before the coverage of our #CoproConfWales2025 starts later today, here is the third resource that we would like to highlight. Our Asset Mapping tool helps to identify your communities strengths with our top tips for creating an effective asset map for communities: buff.ly/TvciiRd

Great to represent @bctwales.bsky.social at @copronetwales.bsky.social National Conference today. A full house of people exploring how best to nurture our 'national treasure' of co-production in Wales. #CoProWales2025

The first resource we would like to share with you this #CoproWeekWales2025 is our Co-production Slide Deck. This set of slides aims to improve yours and your colleagues’ understanding of co-production, with examples of tools you can use: buff.ly/W7lHqwH

Cyfle wych gyda @ynnicymunedol.bsky.social

Good to see @sionedplaid.bsky.social highlighting the lack of community assets as a factor affecting social cohesion, as well as pushing for more info about a communities policy, in Equality & Social Justice Committee's Ministerial Evidence session. 🔗Transcript: record.senedd.wales/Committee/15...

Great two days at Lee Gardens Pool, Penrhiwceiber, discussing volunteering, wellbeing, sustainability and evaluation with @bctwales.bsky.social funded Community Anchor organisations from across Wales. Couldn't fault the weather either!

Pleased to see the recommendation for a Community Right to Buy in @futuregencymru.bsky.social second Future Generations Report, published today. This right would ensure services and support remain open and run according to local needs, rather than risk permanent loss. #FutureGen10

I'll be going to this. Who's coming along too? Lots of great speakers and panel discussions about all things #co-production!

Big but unsurprising news from Cardiff Bay/ Vale of Glamorgan today. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

First trip to the Senedd in 2025 today. Lovely day for it and lots of good discussions about #communityaction across Wales.

Today I had the opportunity to speak to some great organisations, including: Hope St Mellons, The OU and Building Communities Trust. Hope St Mellons are doing some excellent work with their community-led pantry.

My first visit of 2025 to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay next week. Visit BCT's stand to find out more about our work with communities across Wales. Ymweliad cytaf a'r 2025 i'r Senedd ym Mae Caerdydd yr wythnos nesaf. Ewch i stondin BCT i ddarganfod mwy am ein gwaith gyda chymunedau ledled Cymru.

3.5k words into an inquiry response and have come across definitions and articles I used in my undergrad degree 14 years ago! Definitely time to finish for the day now.

Some may feel, with this news and that coming from the University, that Cathays Park, so much of which was built as part of a nation building process, increasingly symbolises a nation (or at least its public realm) in a spiral of decline

Really interesting consultation by the Senedd Equality and Social Justice Committee focused on social and community cohesion. I'll be focusing my response on the importance of ensuring safe (free) places for people to meet. Deadline for responses is Feb. 14th: business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHisto...

We've done lots of work on this very area and have some excellent research from @plunkettuk.bsky.social which compares the Scottish and English approaches. We call for a community right to buy, backed by a right of first refusal, amongst other recommendations www.bct.wales/ownership

Interesting developments in #localgovt in Eng. Funding according to deprivation IS important but it's also worth taking into account provision of social infrastructure. We mapped & ranked exactly this for every small area in Wales last year (www.bct.wales/wcai) www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

As any policy person in Wales knows, it's consultation season right now. This is helpful (and funny) company for the many consultation responses I'm working on... do I dare say yay for budget scrutiny?