Taking Community Power to the Next Level in Wales – Spring Conference 2026
Our Spring Conference at Newport Market on 24th March brought together a room full of our members, doing incredible work in their communities across Wales.
We kicked off the day with a panel discussion that set things in motion. Despite a few tech hiccups, it quickly found its rhythm — opening up honest, thought-provoking conversations that the room actively stepped into. Ideas were shared, perspectives challenged, and conversations built between people across the room.
That sense of momentum carried straight into the workshops, which were well attended and sparked some really valuable discussions:
- Owning it Together: exploring community ownership of buildings and land
- Creating Equitable Communities through Enterprise, Employment and Empowerment
- Meaningful Community Engagement
- Good, Better, Best – Understanding and Improving Your Funding Applications
- Community Buildings: Energy Matters
- Flood Resilience for Community Groups & Buildings: What Can We Do?
Throughout the day, funders and support organisations were set up across the space, making it easy for people to have those informal, face-to-face conversations that are often where the most useful connections are made.
Lunch, provided by Wales World Café, was a real highlight — delicious and provided by a Cardiff-based charity supporting BME women with employability and enterprise skills. It kept everyone fuelled and ready for the second round of workshops.
We rounded off the day with a trip to a local pub — continuing conversations, building connections, and, of course, sharing a few well-earned pints.
The following day, the DTA Wales team headed straight into our team away day in Cardiff. It was a chance to properly take stock — to reflect on the conference, get our heads together on new systems and ways of working, and look ahead to what’s coming in 2026 and beyond. With new projects on the horizon, and a clear focus on how we continue to support our members, 2026 is already shaping up to be a year of real growth and development.
Next stop: North Wales… We’ll be heading to Wrexham on 20th October for our next conference — keep an eye on our socials for more details coming soon.
We received some fantastic feedback from the March event. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts — we’ll be using your insights to help shape our conference in October!
Take a look at the photos from the day!
