The Senedd Petitions Committee is launching the first ever Petition of the Year competition to recognise and celebrate the contribution of campaigners in Wales.

Five petitions have been shortlisted by the Committee and from today members of the public are being invited to vote for the one that has had the most impact on the people of Wales.

Members of the Committee have nominated a broad range of petitions to reflect the variety of subjects that people have campaigned for over the last year.

The five shortlisted petitions called for:

• New laws to protect rare red squirrels from habitat loss
• Reinstating cervical screening to every 3 years
• A ‘Care Leavers Plus’ Universal Basic Income pilot that includes a range of people
• The technology of prosthetic limbs in the Welsh NHS to be equal to the rest of the UK
• Support for families experiencing the sudden death of children and young adults

After the competition closes on 29 August, the creator of the winning petition will then be invited to the Senedd to meet with the Deputy Presiding Officer, David Rees MS.

Jack Sargeant MS, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said,

“Today, we launch the Senedd’s first annual Petition of the Year competition to celebrate the work of everyone who has submitted, signed, shared and supported one over the last year.

“It is also about promoting the petitions process which I would encourage everyone to consider engaging with. As you can see from our nominees’ petitions, a passionate campaign can and does have a real impact on the lives of Welsh residents.

“I chair the peoples committee as it belongs to everyone in Wales and is directly instructed by them through the petitions process.

“I would like to thank not only the nominees, but everyone who has engaged in the petitions process. Best of luck to those nominated and please vote.”

The Petition of the Year competition runs from 25 July to 29 August and the nominated petitions were selected from those that closed in the 12 months from May 2021 to May 2022.

Anyone living in Wales can start a petition and all petitions with more than 10,000 signatures are considered for a debate in the Senedd whilst those with over 250 signatures are discussed by the Committee to decide whether to explore the topic in more detail.