Many of them will be giving their views on the BBC Wales news website, TV and radio ahead of the assembly elections on 3 May.

They responded to an appeal from BBC Wales asking people to make their opinions heard on everything from hospitals and schools to waste bins and global warming.

Here, you can meet members of the group from the south Wales west electoral region. Click on the links in the map above for more on the others in the rest of Wales.

Anthony Berrow

AGE: 49

LIVES: Nantymoel, near Bridgend

WORKS: IT manager

ISSUES: He is disappointed with the Welsh parties and he feels they don't agree enough and do not co-operate. When the assembly was formed, AMs took Westminster attitudes and saw it as a place to do battle.

Jim Bowen

AGE: 69

LIVES: Gorseinon, Swansea

WORKS: Retired Royal Navy submariner

ISSUES: Rhodri Morgan has not set a good example after being late for events. Jim says difference in funding and the voucher scheme means he is not entitled to a free wheelchair because he lives in Wales rather than England.

Martyn Clifford

AGE: 47

LIVES: Porthcawl

WORKS: Supply teacher

ISSUES: The survival of the Welsh language and the efforts of politicians to promote it. He would like to see a greater emphasis on wealth creation in the Welsh economy through the promotion of dynamic entrepreneurship.

Anita Davies

AGE: 35

LIVES: Litchard, Bridgend

WORKS: Works for the Cardiff Institute for the Blind

ISSUES: She would like to see the assembly getting new powers. She feels more often than not, the assembly looks to English matters before making its mind up. Although this cautious approach is good on one hand, she feels Wales could be more pro-active in setting its own agenda.

Colin Davies

AGE: 44

LIVES: Bridgend

WORKS: Community development officer

ISSUES: He voted for devolution but is disappointed by the reality of assembly politics. He is a big fan of Ron Davies' view of devolution, which should mean doing things differently in Wales to the partisan shouting match in Westminster. But this vision has not been fulfilled.

Rhiannon Eley

AGE: 21

LIVES: Swansea

WORKS: Student nurse at Swansea University

ISSUES: NHS funding and the knock-on effect this will have on her chances of getting a job. She would like to see a promise from AMs and government ministers to involve NHS workers, especially nurses, in health care decisions.

Lisa Higgins

AGE: 23

LIVES: Uplands, Swansea

WORKS: Unemployed

ISSUES: She despairs at political apathy and says one answer could be to get youngsters voting online via a secure site. She feels centralisation in health provision could be a major problem and she is worried about taking services away from south west Wales.

Tina Jones

AGE: 40

LIVES: Loughor, Swansea

WORKS: Supermarket worker and helps out at her local school

ISSUES: Feels strongly there is a lack of support for people wanting to buy their own home and she is worried about the environment as well as transport.

Michelle Robinson

AGE: 38

LIVES: Pontarddulais

WORKS: Teaching assistant in a Pontarddulais school.

ISSUES: Michelle is interested in education policies as well as childcare issues. She runs the Pontarddulais Ti a Fi toddler group.

ISSUES: Education policies and childcare issues.

Kamal Selmassi

AGE: 64

LIVES: Bridgend

WORKS: At homeless charity Llamau in Cardiff and Bridgend

ISSUES: He is originally from Iraq, and can't understand why people don't exercise their right to vote - when he voted in this country for the first time he had tears in his eyes. He says the assembly doesn't have enough teeth. Level of awareness from ordinary people is low and if people don't vote, people disenfranchise themselves.

Non Thomas

AGE: 62

LIVES: Swansea

WORKS: Part-time deputy superintendent registrar with Swansea Council.

ISSUES: Health, including opposition to centralising services. She feels the assembly is not relevant to all parts of Wales and is too steered towards Cardiff.

Ross Thomas

AGE: 19

LIVES: Maesteg

WORKS: Swansea University student

ISSUES: A first-time voter, he says he is passionate about politics, unlike many of his age group. He is concerned about the health service and education and the engagement of young people in politics.