Cost of Living

Cost-of-Living Crisis Support

The One Voice Wales cost-of-living crisis project has been set up to assist Community & Town Councils (C&TCs) in further supporting communities to overcome the challenges brought on by the deepening cost-of-living crisis.

Why It Matters

The cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen, leading to increased poverty and financial stress. C&TCs are the closest to those residents who are the most vulnerable. Remarkable services and support have already been delivered. One Voice Wales would like to support Councils to continue their good work to help those facing the most difficult challenges.

What You Said You’d Like Support With

Based on your feedback, we're concentrating on developing and delivering a comprehensive Cost of Living Crisis online resource for C&TCs. This resource will provide guidance, advice, training, and case studies focusing primarily on these specific areas:

· Community Places & Warm Spaces
· Food
· Health & Wellbeing
· Clothing & Repurposing
· Benefits, Debt Management & Budgeting
· Transport

How we can support you.

We want to provide advice, guidance, and tools that are relevant to all C&TCs.We appreciate that some councils are better resourced than others to respond to the cost-of-living crisis. We will ensure that there are resources that all C&TCs can make use of. We hope to deliver:

Skill Building & Learning- cost of living training, webinars, and workshops including input from Council colleagues on successful initiatives that have been implemented in their communities.

Online Resources - ‘how to’ guides, case studies, signposting resources, and toolkits.

Connect and Collaborate – join an online network, to connect with other councils, share experiences, team up on projects, and build valuable partnerships in your communities.

Advocacy & Policy Guidance – guidance & advice on navigating legal & regulatory frameworks to deliver community initiatives and activities. We also want to ensure that C&TCs get recognition for all the tremendous work that is done.

So we are launching the One Voice Wales Cost-of-Living Crisis Forum

We have been working on creating a ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ Community for councils as you told us that an opportunity to connect with one another over certain issues/topics would be something you would benefit from.

A dedicated Facebook group, an online space where Community and Town councils can come together to share best practice, ask questions, and get help and advice on issues affecting your communities around the Cost-of-Living crisis. The One Voice Wales Cost of Living Crisis Team will also be sharing guidance, signposting and providing resources into this forum.

You can access and join the group HERE

We are excited to introduce ‘Councils Connect’, a regular Zoom session hosted by the Cost of Living Crisis Team. 

The "Councils Connect" sessions are designed to provide a dedicated online, regular discussion space for community and town councils in Wales to collaboratively address cost-of-living crisis and other issues. Participants can share their experiences, challenges, and effective strategies. We hope to foster a community of support and collective problem-solving.

Join us to share experiences, discuss challenges, and gain valuable insights from fellow council members.REGISTER HERE

Get in touch.

Share with us the steps you're already taking to tackle the cost-of-living crisis in your areas. We're here to offer you guidance, and support, and to share the amazing work that is being done already. Your input is invaluable in shaping our program and ensuring we're meeting your needs effectively so get in touch if there is something you need.

Don't hesitate to reach out to the Cost-of-Living Crisis project team at 

CoLC@onevoicewales.wales  for further information. 

We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Key Insights from Cost of Living Crisis Survey