In the run-up to next week's 2021 Senedd Election, Nub News will be profiling the candidates running for Cardiff South and Penarth.

For our first installation, we tagged along with the Green Party as they canvassed in St Augustines.

After three weeks of seemingly uninterrupted sunshine, the heavens opened for Nub News' meeting with Green Party Senedd candidates Helen Westhead and Anthony Slaughter.

"It's good for the garden," said Helen, in typical environmentalist fashion.

She may be running as Green Party candidate for Cardiff South and Penarth in the 2021 Senedd Election, but Helen is a relative newcomer to politics.

"I'm an environmental consultant by background," she said. "I've been working in renewable energy for over fifteen years and have been doing a lot of work on decarbonisation strategy in Wales.

"That's inspired me to take it a step further. I got involved with the Green Party four years or so ago and stood for Council elections in 2017.

"By the time the elections came and I was standing outside polling stations, I was quite heavily pregnant.

"For obvious reasons, I became a little bit pre-occupied with having a young child and he's now three, going on for four. But when lockdown started I was able to participate in the Green Party a bit more again because things went online.

"Then Anthony approached me and encouraged me to stand and I'm really pleased I did."

Helen lives in Grangetown but speaks highly of Penarth and its environmentalist credentials.

"Penarth is a fantastic place and Anthony's got a lot of support through working with residents for so many years," she continued.

"A lot of people here understand the sustainability agenda and are really open to addressing the climate emergency and the nature emergency.

"Now is the time for a post-Covid green recovery. We can really capture this momentum, enthusiasm and support for wider change and a green transformation."

And what does that green transformation entail?

"Our climate target is net zero for 2030 - the most ambitious of any party. We've got a plan to deliver that. We go beyond the rhetoric.

"We have elected Greens in every government in every other part of the UK except Wales and now's the time for Wales to have a green voice in the room.

"We see supporting sustainable independent business as a real opportunity for Penarth.

"There's a lot happening already, but this is really fundamental to post-COVID economic recovery as well."

In the last Welsh Assembly Election (2016), the Green Party received the fewest votes of any party running for the Cardiff South and Penarth constituency, just 4.2% of those cast.

Running for the seat then was Wales Green Party Leader Anthony Slaughter.

This year, Anthony is running for the Vale of Glamorgan seat.

But as the Green's lead candidate for South Wales Central, he can still receive your vote on the regional ballot.

We asked him to rate his party's chances.

"We're absolutely not a protest vote. We obviously have a heavily weighted first-past-the-post system for our constituencies, which really makes it hard for small, progressive parties.

"But we have an element of proportionality in the Senedd elections through the regional list, which lowers the threshold to get Greens in and I'm confident that we will this time.

"Once one Green gets elected, people see what they do and elect more Greens.

"People have had a year of reflection and a year of thinking about what matters. We're getting a much more positive reception on the doorstep this time around.

"What is interesting is that the growth of our support comes from two polar extremes: young people who are very engaged with these issues as it's their future we're talking about; and their grandparents' generation who have serious concerns about the world the younger generations are growing up in."

The Green Party's support base does indeed appear to be growing. But here in Penarth, environmentalism can be a controversial topic.

It is not uncommon for planting projects to be targeted by saboteurs.

How does the Green Party plan to unite Penarth under an environmentalist banner?

"There are some divisive people out there, people who especially online like to stir up animosity in communities," says Anthony.

"But we have to be all-inclusive, we have to pull everyone along. It's about how we approach things. It's not just tackling the climate emergency.

"Our policies give you clean air, healthier food to eat, safer streets for your children to play on - what's not to like?"

"Absolutely," agrees Helen. "Everything has to be done in an inclusive way.

"I think representation in politics and decision-making is so important.

"Involving the people most affected in the decision-making process is in our manifesto.

"We want more voices at the table and greater diversity.

"We're used to seeing an archetypal type of politician, but we have a lot of female leaders and are really leading the drive for equality."

The 2021 Senedd Election will take place on Tuesday 6 May.

Read the Green Party's Manifesto HERE.