Mental Health Matters Wales is proud to be a member of the Wales Alliance for Mental Health (WAMH).
WAMH brings together Wales’ leading national charities working in mental health, suicide prevention, and self-harm support.
Together, we amplify the voices of everyone who needs mental health support.
We believe improving mental health across Wales requires a joined-up approach—focusing on early intervention, prevention, and trauma-informed care.
The Wales Alliance for Mental Health 2026 Manifesto
Together, We Can Build a Mentally Healthier Wales: Our Priorities for the Next Welsh Government
At the heart of our work in the Wales Alliance for Mental Health (WAMH) is a shared, unwavering belief: that everyone in Wales deserves compassionate, timely, and effective support for their mental health.
As a coalition of leading national charities, we witness every day the courage of individuals and the strain on a system that needs urgent, transformative change.
Today, we are proud to stand with our alliance partners to launch our collective manifesto: Priorities for the Next Welsh Government 2026.
This document is more than a list of recommendations; it is a unified blueprint for action, born from the lived experiences of those we support and the expertise of organisations working at the frontline of Wales' mental health.
While we acknowledge progress made, the reality is mental health needs are rising, and too many people are being left behind.
From children and young people to our dedicated workforce, the pressures of poverty, inequality, and a lack of early support are taking a profound toll. We know that mental health is shaped by our lives, our communities, and our circumstances.
Our vision is for a Wales where mental health is treated as integral to our overall health and wellbeing. We envision a person-centred, rights-based system that prevents problems where it can, intervenes early and compassionately, and provides truly holistic support for recovery. A system free from stigma, where everyone can access the help they need, when they need it.
Our manifesto calls on the next Welsh Government to commit to decisive, cross-government leadership. Our key priorities include:
- Making Mental Health a True Prioritythrough measurable, impactful actions across all government departments.
- Investing in Preventionto ease pressure on services and build resilience from the ground up.
- Reforming Servicesto be equitable, accessible, and least restrictive.
- Prioritising Our Young Peoplewith a clear strategy for early support for babies, children, and young people.
- Tackling the Root Causesof poor mental health, such as poverty and insecure housing.
- Developing Robust Measurementto ensure transparency and focus on what really matters: people's experiences and outcomes.
- Developing a Supported Workforcethat is trauma-informed and rights-focused.
- Strengthening Mental Health Legislationto safeguard rights and improve access.
- Empowering Collaborationbetween statutory and third sectors, ensuring services are co-produced with those who use them.
Join Us in Championing Change
This manifesto is our promise to the people of Wales and a challenge to those seeking to lead our nation. Realising this vision requires bold leadership, sustained investment, and a fundamental cultural shift in how we view and support mental health.
As a proud member of the Wales Alliance for Mental Health, we urge everyone—individuals, communities, policymakers, and candidates—to read our priorities, share them, and demand action.
Download the full"Priorities for the Next Welsh Government 2026"manifesto below, and join us in building a Wales where mental health is protected, supported, and valued for all.
Click here to open and download the WAMH Manifesto.
We are proud to make these calls alongside our colleagues at Adferiad, Beat eating disorders, Mental Health Matters Wales, Mental Health Foundation, Mind Cymru, Papyrus: Prevention of Young Suicide, and Samaritans Cymru
