Host a Hustings Cymru
Host a Hustings Cymru helps teachers and youth practitioners to organise and deliver their own youth hustings events for the 2026 Senedd elections.
About the programme
Youth Hustings provide a platform for young people aged 14–25 to engage directly with electoral candidates in Welsh elections. They give young people the chance to ask questions, voice their opinions, and take part in meaningful dialogue in the run-up to local and national votes. Events can be run in person or online.
Funded by the Welsh Government, Host a Hustings Cymru brings together our experience and the expertise of sector partners in democratic education. The programme equips teachers and youth practitioners with the tools, resources, and confidence to deliver engaging, impartial, and high-quality hustings events.
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Session 1 – Introduction to Hustings & Preparing Learners
In collaboration with Senedd Education
This session includes an introduction to hustings and an overview of the key learning resources you’ll need to support your students to engage confidently in the hustings.
Session 2 – Candidates & Ensuring Impartiality
In collaboration with the Electoral Commission
This session includes guidance on contacting and engaging candidates, as well as how to organise a hustings that meets impartiality requirements and safeguarding considerations.
Session 3 – Promoting Your Hustings
In collaboration with the Electoral Commission
This session includes advice on how to promote your hustings to learners, as well as how to engage other schools, colleges, and youth groups to attend and take part.
Session 4 – Designing Your Hustings
This session includes an overview of different event formats and advice on choosing what works best for young people. It also includes guidance on logistics such as venue, equipment, translation, meeting candidates, refreshments, and signage.
Bonus Session – Training Young Chairs. This session includes a dedicated workshop for learners who want to chair the event.
How it works
We’ll provide expert guidance, ready-made resources, and hands-on support so you can run a hustings that works for your setting and your learners.
Training Sessions
A series of online workshops with sector experts, covering everything you need to know:
Session 1 – Introduction to Hustings & Preparing Learners
In collaboration with Senedd Education
This session includes an introduction to hustings and an overview of the key learning resources you’ll need to support your students to engage confidently in the hustings.
Session 2 – Candidates & Ensuring Impartiality
In collaboration with the Electoral Commission
This session includes guidance on contacting and engaging candidates, as well as how to organise a hustings that meets impartiality requirements and safeguarding considerations.
Session 3 – Promoting Your Hustings
In collaboration with the Electoral Commission
This session includes advice on how to promote your hustings to learners, as well as how to engage other schools, colleges, and youth groups to attend and take part.
Session 4 – Designing Your Hustings
This session includes an overview of different event formats and advice on choosing what works best for young people. It also includes guidance on logistics such as venue, equipment, translation, meeting candidates, refreshments, and signage.
Bonus Session – Training Young Chairs
This session includes a dedicated workshop for learners who want to chair the event.
Resources
We’ll provide a full bilingual resource pack (Welsh and English) with everything you need to plan your hustings, teach learners about the Senedd, elections and voting, and support young people to develop excellent questions. Alongside this, we are developing an e-learning module designed to support both teachers and young people in preparing for and delivering successful hustings events.
Ongoing support
While you take the lead, we’ll be on hand to provide advice and guidance on everything from event formats to party contacts. If you encounter challenges, such as preparing learners or reaching candidates, we can troubleshoot with you and help find solutions. You’ll also have access to additional resources, including voter registration activities, template emails, and more.
Interested?
You can sign up here!
If you work with young people and want to run a hustings with support from The Politics Project then complete an Expression of Interest form. It just takes 2 minutes to fill out, and one of our team will be in touch.
