Here's what we need to reproduce:

1. config for my bot for enforcing change notes: https://github.com/pypa/pip/blob/4bb2bcb/.github/chronographer.yml
2. config for Towncrier with better sections: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/towncrier.toml
3. tailored gitignore: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/changelog-fragments.d/.gitignore
4. pre-commit check: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/.pre-commit-config.yaml#L9-L57
5. improved changelog template with support for commit reference detection: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/changelog-fragments.d/.towncrier-template.rst.j2
6. readme rendered within GH: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/changelog-fragments.d/README.rst
7. tox helpers: https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/tox.ini#L278-L352
8. integration with Sphinx:

• https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/conf.py#L13-L21
• https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/conf.py#L41
• https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/conf.py#L167-L171
• https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/history.rst?plain=1#L7-L27
• https://github.com/cherrypy/cheroot/blob/fdaa24d/docs/conf.py#L49-L54
• guidelines inclusion: https://github.com/ansible/pylibssh/blob/bf0528d/docs/contributing/guidelines.rst?plain=1#L35 (it's nice when the same thing is rendered on RTD and GH: https://cheroot.cherrypy.dev/en/latest/contributing/guidelines/#adding-change-notes-with-your-prs / https://docs.aiohttp.org/en/stable/contributing.html#examples-for-adding-changelog-entries-to-your-pull-requests / https://ansible-pylibssh.rtfd.io/en/latest/contributing/guidelines/#adding-change-notes-with-your-prs)
• we may want to configure markdown for change log, so lurk into attrs for inspiration:
  • https://github.com/python-attrs/attrs/blob/913f818/docs/changelog.md?plain=1#L1-L11
  • https://github.com/python-attrs/attrs/blob/913f8183c7be3882db0826a5b1022423a1f7f23d/pyproject.toml#L283-L288
  • related MyST substitutions: https://github.com/ansible/awx-plugins/blob/db2cae7/docs/conf.py#L121-L126
  • markdown template examples: https://github.com/python-attrs/attrs/blob/913f8183c7be3882db0826a5b1022423a1f7f23d/changelog.d/towncrier_template.md.jinja
• sphinx-issues for bylines in change notes: https://github.com/ansible/awx-plugins/blob/db2cae7/docs/conf.py#L82

Many of these things can be copied with minimal modifications.