On Friday we kicked off an exciting project—filming with the Primary Care Learning Disability Team. We’ve been discussing the importance of Annual Health Checks and sharing our experiences to help raise awareness. It’s been a great opportunity to have our voices heard and highlight why these checks matter for our health and well-being!
Massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped our Reconnect through Cookery session go ahead on Friday while some of us were busy filming! We made it back just in time to enjoy the delicious food.
Our amazing members prepared a healthy salad to go with a yummy sausage pasta bake, topped with cheddar cheese . We also had a fun quiz & bingo session! We welcomed a few new faces and dished up 64 portions – WOW!
A week Friday, we’ll be making pizza, chosen by our lovely member Kirsty – we can’t wait!
See you all Wednesday for music!
This morning, we worked with Rhian, Communication & Engagement Officer, and her colleague from Gwent OPCC, to review the Gwent Police Crime & Justice Plan (Easy Read version).
We identified difficult words and replaced them with easier ones, and we suggested adding lots of photo symbols to make it clearer. Next week, we’ll help choose the best symbols.
It’s great to be involved in making important information more accessible for everyone!
Amy started the morning with a fascinating tour of the Senedd, which she really enjoyed. Next, we had an update from Geraint and the research staff from Cardiff University about a project that will employ adults with learning disabilities to become researchers. We also discussed how we would like to be consulted, with most people preferring face-to-face meetings but also open to using Teams or Zoom.
In the afternoon, we focused on communication with members. We explored ways to improve All Wales People First’s social media and make Talk Back more cost-effective, as printing and posting it is expensive. We also talked about campaigning against the proposed benefit cuts, how they would affect everyone, and what we want to include in our position statement. Members discussed writing to local MPs to voice their concerns.
It’s been an amazing two days – great discussions and lovely to see members from other People First groups! The hotel and food were fantastic, and a big thank you to Jess for organising train tickets and transfers. Also, a huge thanks to all the staff for making the meeting engaging and easy to understand.
Exciting News! This week Amy Jones is attending the All Wales People First National Council for the first time as a new representative. As a rep, Amy will share important issues from our group that might impact people across Wales and could need national action. This is a fantastic opportunity to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear. Wishing Amy the best of luck in her new role!
Yesterday, Amy and Christy had a great first day at the National Council Meeting. Chief Executive Joe Powell gave a talk about what National Council reps do and the jobs of the Chair and Vice Chair. After lunch, we had elections, when the following people were elected:
Lucy – New Chair
Kurtis – New Vice Chair
Neil – New board member
We also looked at the last meeting notes and talked about important actions. Amy spoke for Caerphilly People First and said our members want:
Better healthcare
Mental health support that is easy to understand
More information about health checks
A great first day—looking forward to more!
This morning, we wrapped up the final part of our friendship & relationship training with our amazing friends from Torfaen People First! Ffion led the session, covering contraception, identifying body parts, and discussing pregnancy tests and the different types available. We also practiced how to put on a condom and had some great discussions about sex, sex toys, and consent.
It’s been fantastic working with you all over the last few weeks! A huge congratulations to everyone who completed the training and earned their certificates!
We’ve been busy in the office with the Primary Care Learning Disability Nurses. Together, we are promoting the Annual Health Check. If you have signed your consent form and agreed to take part, here are the new dates for practice and filming:
March 14th (Friday) – Filming
10:30 AM (Max 2 hours)
At Bargoed YMCA
March 19th (Wednesday) – Practice
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
At Bargoed YMCA
March 26th (Wednesday) – Filming
10:30 AM
At Bargoed YMCA
Let’s spread the word about the importance of Annual Health Checks!
On Friday we talked about OUR LIVES – what we enjoy, what we need, and how to make things better!
WORK & ACTIVITIES
“I like working with adults with learning disabilities.”
“I enjoy People First and seeing my friends.”
“I love plane spotting with my outreach worker.”
“I need more activities.”
“I like going shopping.”
SUPPORT
Some members prefer female staff.
“I don’t need support all the time, but I need more help with my mental health.”
COMMUNITY
“I want to feel safe.”
“We need more opportunities.”
“More exercise classes that are easy for me to do.”
“I want more people to talk to me and accept me.”
HOME
“Sometimes, staff are not nice.”
“I sometimes feel lonely.”
“I like my own room and space.”
“I love my dogs, my family, and nice food.”
“I enjoy going to respite.”
HEALTH
“I don’t like having a bad belly, and I can’t eat the foods I enjoy because of allergies.”
“Staff help me understand my health.”
“I like walking with my support worker.”
“Doctors take too long to answer the phone.”
“I like walking to keep fit and listening to music.”
“I need longer doctors’ appointments.”
This is ‘My Beautiful Life’, a way for us to share what makes us happy and what support we need. Thank you to everyone for sharing – your voices matter!
Today our amazing members belted out 23 different songs, filling the room with laughter, dancing, and pure joy! We welcomed lots of new faces and enjoyed a delicious buffet – the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing!
A HUGE THANK YOU to:
Peter the caretaker for all your help
Stu & Nat for hosting an epic karaoke session
Helen & Sharon for doing the register and helping clear up
Cheryl & Zoe for preparing the delicious buffet
See you all in a fortnight – let’s do it all again!
Yesterday, our focus group had a fantastic visit from Clare, who works for Transport for Wales. She introduced us to the Orange Wallet Scheme, a brilliant tool designed to help people who may need extra support while using public transport. The Orange Wallet contains cards where users can write down their specific needs, making it easier to communicate with railway staff and ensure a smoother journey.
We also had a great discussion about the new trains, who we can ask for passenger assistance at the station, and how to navigate train travel with confidence. To put our learning into action, we’re planning a group trip to Barry when the weather improves! This will be a great opportunity to practice purchasing tickets, boarding, and traveling together while enjoying a fun day out. A huge thank you to Clare for such an informative session!
