Reconnect Tuesday Group

Posted on by

🌿☔🧘‍♀️ What a busy, fun-packed day for our members at Caerphilly People First at this week’s Tuesday Reconnect session! 🧘‍♂️☔🌿 Our day started with a visit to the beautiful TARAGGAN Educational Gardens. Unfortunately, the rain showers had other plans, so our gardening session was cut a little short. We still managed to get some weeding done before heading back to the office! 🌱🌼 Back at the office, there was plenty of fun with games of 🎱 pool and 🎯 darts before lunchtime.

In the afternoon, it was time for our fantastic yoga session with the wonderful Lisa! 🧘‍♀️💜 At this session we practised breathing exercises using colourful chiffon scarves ✨ Enjoyed gentle stretches ✨ Picked letter cards with different yoga poses ✨ Tried Warrior poses, Tree pose, Sitting Baby and many more ✨ Had lots of laughs, including some fantastic dance moves from the lovely and hilarious Paula 💃😂 ✨ Finished with relaxing music, mindfulness, and yes… a little bit of snoring! 😴🤣

These sessions are so important to our members. Feedback tells us that yoga helps reduce anxiety, improves wellbeing, boosts confidence, and gives people techniques they can use at home whenever they need them. ❤️ Many members tell us they regularly practise their breathing exercises and favourite poses between sessions. A huge thank you to Lisa for another amazing session filled with relaxation, laughter, friendship, and fun. 🌟 We can’t wait to do it all again next week! 🥰

🎵🥁 Joint Reconnect Through Music & African Drumming Session 🎶✨

Posted on by

We had an amazing and uplifting day today at our fortnightly Reconnect Through Music session, followed by an energetic and fun one-hour African Drumming Workshop! 🌟 The singing session got off to a fantastic start with Tilly performing Beat It by Michael Jackson 🎤🕺 which was followed by a series of wonderful performances from our talented members:

🎵 Amy – Rehab by Amy Winehouse
🎵 Dennis – Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
🎵 Sean – Don’t Bring Me Down by ELO
🎵 Chris – Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
🎵 Anthony – Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations

As always, the performances were met with plenty of encouragement, singing along, and smiles from everyone in attendance. 😊👏 During a brief break for lunch, members enjoyed delicious pizza 🍕. A huge thank you goes to Christy and the gang stationed in the kitchen for keeping everyone well fed and ready for the afternoon’s activities! 🙌❤️

Following lunch, 15 members took part in an exciting African Drumming Session led by Liz Mullins 🥁🌍. The group learned a couple of different rhythms, including one set to the memorable phrase:

☕ “I don’t like tea, I like coffee!” ☕

The workshop was full of energy, laughter, and teamwork, and everyone sounded absolutely amazing drumming together in the big hall. 🎶🥁✨ The sense of togetherness and enjoyment throughout the session was truly special.

❤️ Olivia said the drumming session was “amazing.”
❤️ Matilda said the drumming was “an experience for her that she may never have the opportunity to do again,” adding that it would be hard to improve such a great session.
❤️ Anthony said he “loves this session, with all his friends around him.”

A huge thank you to Liz Mullins, all our fantastic volunteers, and every member who joined us for another magical, music-filled Wednesday. 🎵🥁🌟

There will be no music session in two weeks, as Caerphilly People First will be attending the All Wales People First Adfest conference in Cardiff, so our next session will be on Wednesday 8th July. We look forward to seeing everyone then!

🍽️🌟 Reconnect Through Cookery 🌟🍽️

Posted on by

What a wonderful day we had at our Reconnect Through Cookery session on Friday! 😊💛 Our amazing members got stuck in by peeling the potatoes 🥔, chopping the carrots 🥕 and broccoli 🥦, helping to prepare a delicious sausage dinner 🍽️. We served it with creamy mash, peas and plenty of tasty gravy 😋.

The dinner was absolutely delicious, and it was lovely to sit together, enjoy good food, have lots of chats and take part in a fun quiz 🧠🎉. There were plenty of smiles, laughter and great teamwork throughout the session 😊👏.

A huge THANK YOU ❤️ to all of our wonderful volunteers who give their time, support and kindness each week. These sessions simply wouldn’t be the same without you. Your dedication helps create friendships, build confidence and make our members feel valued and connected 🤗🌈.

🌟💙 Volunteers’ Week Celebration! 💙🌟

Posted on by

We’ve had a lovely morning celebrating with the wonderful volunteers from Platform and our amazing TARAGGAN volunteers! 🎉😊 There was plenty of yummy cake 🍰, lots of smiles 😄, and our volunteers were incredibly proud to receive their certificates 📜 and goodie bags 🎁 in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

Volunteers play such an important role in our communities. They give their time, share their skills, offer friendship, and help make activities possible for so many people. Their kindness and commitment make a real difference every day, helping to reduce isolation, build confidence, and create opportunities for others to connect and thrive. ❤️🤝 A huge thank you to Ceri and Julie for the kind invitation and for helping make the celebration so special. 💐✨ Well done to all the volunteers – today we celebrate YOU! 🌟👏🥰

Stretch, Connect and Belong Yoga

Posted on by

✨ What a fantastic afternoon at our Stretch, Connect and Belong yoga session yesterday! ✨🧘‍♂️ A huge thank you to Lisa for another fun-filled session! 💜 We enjoyed plenty of giggles 😄, gentle stretching 🤸‍♀️, and used yoga cards to practise different breathing exercises 🌬️ and yoga poses 🧘.

Everyone joined in brilliantly and did an amazing job! 🌟 It was wonderful to see everyone relaxing, connecting, and having fun together. 💕😊 Of course, we finished the session with a lovely cuppa ☕ and a chat 🗣️, which is always a great way to end the afternoon. Well done everyone – we can’t wait to do it all again next week! 🎉💜

University of South Wales Training

Posted on by

Ffion and Amy recently delivered lived experience training down at the University of South Wales 🎓✨ They did an amazing job sharing their personal experiences and helping students understand the importance of listening, communication, and treating people with respect and dignity 💙

Amy spoke about her experience with paramedics and going into hospital with a chest infection, while Ffion shared her experience following her knee accident and having Bell’s Palsy. The ladies also shared the experience of our volunteer Gethin and his annual health check 🩺 These real-life stories make such a difference and help future professionals learn directly from people with lived experience 🙌 Well done Ffion and Amy, you represented Caerphilly People First brilliantly 👏😊 Thank you to everyone at USW for having us — we always enjoy working together!

TRAC members at the University of South Wales

Posted on by

Friday’s session was all about midwifery 👩‍⚕️💛 Ffion played the role of someone who was 9 weeks pregnant and did a fantastic job in her role. Christy played her mam, and the student nurses interacted brilliantly — speaking directly to Ffion, explaining everything clearly, and taking their time.

We also had a Learning Disability Nurse on hand 👩‍⚕️💙 who clarified things with Ffion and offered easy-read information, making sure she understood everything in a way that suited her needs. LD nurses are so important, especially when someone with a learning disability is pregnant. All fields of nursing should practice the same approach — clear communication, patience, and respect. It makes a huge difference. ❤️

Meanwhile, Gethin and Nat had just come home from the hospital with their new baby 👶🍼 And yes… believe it or not… they didn’t bicker for a change! 🤣 They were absolutely hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

A huge well done to everyone — our TRAC members and the students. ⭐ We’re already looking forward to the next session and working with you all again soon! 🙌💛

Annual Health Check Video Launch

Posted on by

✨ This morning we were joined by Clair, Leah and John from the Primary Care Learning Disability Health Team for the official launch of the Annual Health Check video we’ve been working on together! 🎥💙

We talked about what an Annual Health Check is — a free check-up offered every year to people with a learning disability to help them stay healthy, spot any concerns early, and make sure they get the right support from their GP 👍🩺

The new video will now be used to train doctors, helping them understand how to make health checks easier, clearer and more accessible for everyone 👏

A huge thank you to the team for the delicious pastries and juice 🥐🧃 Everyone who took part received a voucher and certificate for the fantastic job they did featuring in the promotional video 🎉🎖️ We’re proud of everyone involved and we’re already looking forward to working together again in the future 🤝✨

✨ Breakfast & Craft Yesterday ✨

Posted on by

We had such a lovely morning together! 🥰 Everyone enjoyed a warm breakfast 🥐☕ and then got stuck into some gorgeous Christmas crafts 🎄🎅🎁 There was plenty of chatting, laughing, and learning something new 💬✨ The crafts looked amazing and the room was full of festive cheer! Groups like this make such a difference ❤️ They help people:

⭐ Feel less isolated
⭐ Build friendships
⭐ Learn new skills
⭐ Boost confidence
⭐ Have fun together

Thank you to everyone who joined us — you made the morning special 🤗 Can’t wait for the next one! 🎨💖

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW in the Simulation Suite! ✨

Posted on by

Yesterday we visited the University of South Wales for another brilliant session with the TRAC team.

🎭 Hannah took on the role of Geraldine, who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and Williams syndrome.
🧡 Christy played the role of Geraldine’s support staff.
💥 Nat played a patient who had a fit and knocked herself out, bruising and cutting her head.

The students were amazing! 👏 They asked thoughtful questions about the best ways to communicate with someone who is non-verbal and explored what medical checks and support Geraldine would need for her constipation. They also worked brilliantly as a team supporting Nat’s scenario. The feedback was fantastic — it’s wonderful that TRAC students get the chance to teach, share real-life experiences, and help future nurses learn in such a meaningful way. 🌟 Well done everyone! 🌟