Young people across Wales will have new opportunities to engage directly with their elected representatives, thanks to a three-year programme funded by the Welsh Government.
The Welsh Government’s Democratic Engagement Grant provides £400,000 annually to support sustained, community-rooted engagement, and strengthen long-term democratic participation. Since its launch in February 2023, it has supported 30 organisations delivering 42 projects across Wales.
One of these organisations, The Politics Project, has recently been awarded £357,060 across three financial years, to deliver several different activities to connect young people with the politicians that represent them. Its flagship Digital Dialogue programme facilitates conversations between school pupils with local councillors, Members of the Senedd, MPs through regular, interactive sessions.
They are also delivering annual Leader Dialogue events, giving students a rare opportunity to put questions directly to national political figures, as well as training and support for schools and colleges to organise and arrange youth hustings, for their students, for the 2026 Senedd Elections.
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, recently visited Cowbridge School to take part in a Q&A session with pupils participating in the programme.
Speaking after the visit, the Cabinet Secretary said: “Democracy thrives when young people are empowered to ask questions, challenge ideas, and see themselves reflected in decision-making. This programme is a powerful step toward building lifelong civic engagement and ensuring every voice in Wales is heard. I’d like to thank The Politics Project and Cowbridge School for such an interesting session with such brilliant young people.”
Ian Pope, Head of Programme at The Politics Project, said: “Thank you to Cowbridge School and Jayne Bryant for a fantastic Dialogue session. The questions from the learners were thoughtful and insightful and it was great to see young people engaged. The Politics Project wants to make sure that during their time at school every young person can have the chance to have a meaningful conversation with a politician and build positive relationships. We really appreciate the Cabinet Secretary’s and Welsh Government’s support in helping us achieve that aim.”
