Category Archives: News

No Cash, No Rights Protest

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Yesterday we joined together outside the senedd alongside Torfaen People First ,Cwm Taff people first, All Wales People First, and other People First groups and Mencap for a peaceful protest about something that really matters ❤️

No cash = no rights.

For many adults with learning disabilities, cash isn’t just money — it’s independence, choice, and control. Not everyone has a bank card. Not everyone can use a cash machine. Some people in supported living are given a cash allowance to manage their daily lives. Taking cash away takes away freedom. We need a society where people can choose cash and card — not one or the other. Because real inclusion means making sure everyone can take part.

We made our voices heard loud and proud 🎶
We sang a brilliant song written by Cwm Taff members and chanted: “Keep cash, keep choice, listen to every voice!”

This is so important. A cashless society risks leaving people behind — and that’s not okay. Everyone deserves to feel confident, included, and in control of their own money. After the protest, we had a lovely walk around the bay and enjoyed some ice cream 🍦 …but unfortunately, they didn’t take cash — which just shows exactly why this campaign matters. Thank you Cwm Taff People First for inviting us to join you at this important protest 🪧🗣💸

Let’s keep raising awareness.
Let’s keep pushing for change.
Let’s keep cash, keep choice, and listen to every voice 💬✨

Reconnect Through Music Session ☀️🎶

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Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was a fantastic success, with a brilliant turnout on a beautiful sunny day 🌞. The room was full, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere as everyone came together to enjoy over 20 amazing performances from our talented members 🎤✨.

We kicked off the session in style with Ellysia performing Dancing Queen by ABBA 💃, instantly getting everyone in the mood. Anthony kept the energy high with Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson 🎶, followed by Sean’s great rendition of Oh Julie by Shakin’ Stevens 🎤. Amy delivered a powerful performance of Undo by Sanna Nielsen 🌟, and Kelvin brought plenty of charm with Living Doll by Cliff Richard 🎸. Alongside these, there were many other wonderful performances that kept the room buzzing throughout.

It was brilliant to see so many smiling faces 😊, with members singing along, dancing 💃🕺, and really enjoying the session together. The atmosphere was, as always, warm, inclusive, and full of positivity. We were also delighted to welcome two new members, Benjamin and Callum 👋—it was great to have you join us!

A big thank you goes to Pete for setting everything up 🎛️, and to Christy, Cheryl, and Helen for preparing a lovely lunch 🍽️. Most importantly, thank you to all our members who continue to make each session so memorable 💙.

💬 Feedback from today:
🗣️ “I love this session so much, with all my friends around me.” – Anthony
🗣️ “It’s a helpful and happy atmosphere, and fun.” – Ceri

We’re already looking forward to the next session! 🎶✨

Eye Care Research

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Last week our members attended a fantastic workshop at the University of South Wales (in Glyntaff), joining other People First groups and TRAC members 👏 The session was led by Edward Oloidi, who is carrying out important research into 👀 eye care for people with a learning disability. Some people also joined online 💻, making sure everyone had the chance to be involved 🙌 We had really meaningful discussions about:

🗣️ What works well
⚠️ What doesn’t work
💡 How services can be improved

Our members shared powerful lived experiences, helping to shape better and more inclusive eye care services. Eye tests are so important for everyone, but they must be accessible, understanding, and inclusive so people with a learning disability feel comfortable and supported when attending appointments. A big THANK YOU to all our members who attended, shared their voices, and made the day so valuable 🙏✨

Garden Day at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens ☀️🌿

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Today we visited TARAGGAN Educational Gardens and what a beautiful day it was! The sunshine really lifted everyone’s spirits 🌞😊 Our members worked incredibly hard, getting stuck into weeding one of the garden plots 🌱💪 It’s amazing to see the teamwork and dedication – everyone played their part and made a real difference 👏

Gardening has so many benefits 🌼💚

🌿 Helps reduce stress and anxiety
🌿 Boosts mood and wellbeing
🌿 Encourages physical activity
🌿 Brings people together and builds friendships

It was also lovely to see John, who once ran the community garden – a really special moment for everyone 🌻👋 Days like this show just how powerful being outdoors and connecting with nature can be 🌳✨ Already looking forward to the next visit!

Reconnect Through Music – What a Day!

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We had an absolutely brilliant session yesterday, with an incredible 27 songs performed! 🎤💫 The energy was amazing from start to finish

It was so lovely to see Matilda again, who wowed us with songs from The Little Mermaid 🧜‍♀️ and K-Pop Demon Hunters 🎶🔥. Sean brought the vibes with Tears for Fears 🎹, while Susan had everyone singing along to Living Next Door to Alice 🚪🎵.

We loved the duet from Ffion & Amy singing Olly Murs 💕🎤, and Chris gave us a fantastic It’s Not Unusual 🕺. Anthony performed Hopelessly Devoted to You ❤️, and Christine got the whole room moving with Shut Up and Dance 💃🕺 (and yes… many people DID dance!).

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their amazing talents 🌟👏 — you made the session so special. The hall was packed (big thanks to Pete for setting everything up 🙌), and the delicious pizza 🍕 prepared by Christy & Zoe was a big hit!

💬 Feedback from the group:
Cheryl enjoyed meeting friends 🤝😊
Paula loved singing and chatting 🎶💬
Anthony said he loves everyone and that he’s a karaoke legend! 🎤👑

Thank you all for making it such a joyful and memorable day! 🎉🎶💖

Democracy & Voting Workshop

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A big THANK YOU to Gerraint and Simon from Learning Disability Wales for delivering a fantastic workshop yesterday! 🙌 With the Senedd elections coming up on May 7th 2026, it was the perfect time to learn all about democracy and voting. We had great fun using the pop-up voting station 🗳

👉 Different ways to vote:
In person at a polling station 🏫
By post 📮
By proxy (someone you trust votes for you) 👥

👉 How to register to vote:
You can register online 🌐
You need your details (like National Insurance number)
Make sure you register before the deadline ⏰

👉 How to find your constituency in Caerphilly borough:
Visit the UK Government website 🔍
Enter your postcode 📍
It tells you where you vote and who represents you

We also got creative making our democracy paper chain ⛓️💡We shared ideas about what we want to see changed and improved in our communities! Why voting is important:

It gives you a voice 🗣️
It helps shape your future 🌍
Everyone’s vote matters ❤️

Our members really enjoyed this fun and informative session 😄 We learned so much and had a great time together! 👏 Thanks again to Gerraint and Simon for making it so engaging!

Another fantastic Reconnect Through Cookery session! 🍳🌮

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The atmosphere was lovely at Friday’s Reconnect Through Cookery session, and it was great to see everyone smiling, chatting, and enjoying themselves 💛 We made delicious chicken fajitas, served with a crispy, fresh salad. Our amazing members got hands-on preparing lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms 🥗👏 We topped it all off with salsa and sour cream—and some even braved a jalapeño! 🌶️😄

A big thank you to:

✨ Amy for a brilliant quiz – everyone loved it!
✨ Sam and Rees for helping with the dishes 🧼
✨ Helen and Zoe for volunteering their time and dishing up delicious wraps 🌯💛
✨ Ffion for keeping everything organised with the register

These sessions mean so much to our members—bringing people together, building skills, and having lots of fun along the way 😊 Already looking forward to the next one! 🙌

Reconnect through Cookery 🍝❤️

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What a lovely session we had on Friday!! We made a delicious spaghetti Bolognese served with warm garlic bread, topped off with a sprinkle of cheddar 🧀✨ Our members got hands-on preparing fresh ingredients like celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onions 🥕🍄🧅—and it tasted amazing! We also sang Happy Birthday to our wonderful volunteer Anthony 🎂🥳 who recently celebrated his birthday—enjoy your cake, lovely man! 💛

A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for your support today 💛 Special thanks to Sian for helping out and bringing the fun with bingo 🎉 and to Sarah for being our brilliant quiz master 🧠👏 It was so lovely seeing everyone enjoying themselves, sharing laughs, and sitting down together for lunch 😊🍽️ We’ll see you Wednesday for music! 🎶💃🕺

Reconnect Through Music

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What a brilliant session today! 🌟 With over 20 magical performances, the room was full of smiles, laughter, and people enjoying each other’s company 🤗💬. It was fantastic to see everyone socialising and connecting through music 🎤❤️.

We were treated to many wonderful performances throughout the day. Sean gave us the full 8-minute version of American Pie 🎸, while Ellysia and Chris delighted everyone with two beautiful duet performances 🎶👫. Matilda brought great energy with “Summer Nights” from Grease 🌞🎭, Claire delivered a powerful rendition of “Purple Rain” 💜☔, and Anthony performed “Wonderful Tonight” 🎼✨.

A huge thank you goes to Christy, Cheryl, Helen, and Zoe for preparing our delicious hot dog lunch 🌭 and doing all the paperwork – your hard work helped the day run so smoothly, and is much appreciated 🙌💛.

Days like today show the power of music in bringing people together, and the feedback we received really captured the spirit of the session. Mark shared that he enjoys making new friends 😊, Anthony described it as an amazing day 🌟, and Matilda said it’s a happy atmosphere where everyone is made to feel welcome 💖.

📢 Caerphilly People First at the Caerphilly Hustings 🗳️

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Monday was an exciting and important day for Caerphilly People First! 🎉 We were delighted to be invited to take part in the Caerphilly hustings as part of Learning Disability Wales’s Ready to Vote project. 🙌 The event took place at Y Banc in Caerphilly town centre 🏛️ and brought together politicians from four political parties: Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives, the Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats. It was expertly chaired by our very own Ffion Poole, who did a fantastic job guiding the discussion 👏✨

Our members played a key role in the hustings by asking thoughtful and important questions to the candidates hoping to be elected to the Senedd on Thursday 7th May 🗳️. The topics raised included:

🦷 Access to NHS dentists
🚌 Free bus passes for people with learning disabilities
🎓 Support for people with learning disabilities in schools and colleges

Other attendees also asked questions about housing 🏠 and jobs 💼, making sure a wide range of important issues were discussed. It was great to hear directly from each candidate and learn their views on the issues that matter most to our members 💬. Events like this help make sure that people with learning disabilities have a voice and can make informed choices. We encourage everyone to take part in the election on Thursday 7th May 🗳️ — your voice matters, so make sure it’s heard! 💪🗣️