Annual Health Check Hackathon โ€“ What a Fantastic Day!

On Friday Caerphilly People First members and volunteers attended the Annual Health Check Hackathon organised by Cwm Taff People First. We met with other People First groups, organisations and day services. It was lovely to see everyone working together. ๐Ÿค

๐Ÿ’ก What is a Hackathon?

A hackathon is when people come together to share ideas and be creative about a topic. Everyone works in groups to create things like poems, songs, videos or drama. Our group wrote a poem about Annual Health Checks. โœ๏ธ โญ Gethin did a fantastic job helping to read the poem to everyone. Well done Gethin! ๐Ÿ‘ Other groups wrote songs and performed them. ๐ŸŽถ The songs were fantastic and helped raise awareness about why health checks are so important.

๐ŸŽญ One group performed a drama showing: โœ”๏ธ What a good Annual Health Check appointment looks like โŒ What a bad appointment can look like. It was a brilliant demonstration and helped everyone understand how doctors and nurses should support people with learning disabilities. ๐Ÿ‘

๐ŸŽฌ We also watched the video we helped make with the Learning Disability Nurses about Annual Health Checks. It was great to see it being shared.

๐Ÿฅ What is an Annual Health Check?

An Annual Health Check is a free check-up at the doctor for people with learning disabilities. It helps people stay healthy and talk about any worries. Our poem explained what people need at their appointment, such as:

  • Clear information
  • Time to talk
  • Support if needed
  • Being listened to โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ’ฌ A big thank you to the tutors, who are very talented, creative and lovely to work with. ๐Ÿ‘ A massive thank you to Dawn and her team for organising such a brilliant event. Days like this are so important to raise awareness about Annual Health Checks. Some people in attendance said they still havenโ€™t had a health check, and some had never even heard about them before. That shows why events like this really matter. ๐Ÿ‘ Thank you to everyone involved for such a brilliant and inspiring day.

Reconnect Through Music โ€“ Todayโ€™s Session

We had a fantastic time at this morningโ€™s Reconnect Through Music session! Our members were in great voice and together sang an amazing 25 songs, matching the beautiful sunshine outside. ๐ŸŒž๐ŸŽค We heard favourites both old and new, and every performance was wonderful. Here are just a few of todayโ€™s highlights:

๐ŸŽต Sean sang Going Underground by The Jam
๐ŸŽต Ellysia performed Canโ€™t Get You Out of My Head by Kylie
๐ŸŽต Theresa gave us a lovely version of Eternal Flame by The Bangles
๐ŸŽต Anthony sang Against All Odds by Phil Collins
๐ŸŽต Christine performed Material Girl by Madonna
๐ŸŽต Morgan and Mandy performed a brilliant duet of Seasons in the Sun by Westlife

We truly loved every single performance โ€“ thank you to everyone who sang and supported each other. ๐Ÿ’™ A big thank you as well to Christy, Cheryl and Zoe for preparing our delicious pizza lunch ๐Ÿ• and to Pete for setting up the hall ready for the session. It was also wonderful to welcome two new members to their first session โ€” a big welcome to Robbie and Joe! ๐Ÿ‘‹ We hope you enjoyed your first Reconnect Through Music experience.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Some lovely feedback from today:

Chris said he enjoyed interacting with people
Judith enjoyed meeting new people
Olivia enjoyed the lovely atmosphere

Thank you to everyone who came along and made the session so special. Weโ€™re already looking forward to the next one! ๐ŸŽถโœจ

A Visit From Gerraint from All Wales People First

Yesterday we had a visit from Gerraint from All Wales People First ๐Ÿ˜Š He delivered a SATV Roadshow session to our members. We talked about the Manifesto ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ

๐Ÿ‘‰ What is a manifesto?
A manifesto is a document that says:

  • What we believe in
  • What is important to us
  • What changes we want
    It helps people with a learning disability speak up and be heard ๐Ÿ‘‚

We also talked about Adfest 2026 ๐ŸŽ‰

Adfest will be in Cardiff
๐Ÿ“ At the Future Inn Cardiff
Bookings are now open! ๐Ÿ“
You can get the booking forms from:

  • The All Wales People First Facebook page
  • The All Wales People First website

Thank you Gerraint for a great session! We enjoyed it ๐Ÿ˜Š

Reconnect Through Cookery

What a lovely Reconnect through Cookery session we had on Friday๐Ÿ’› We enjoyed a delicious chicken curry with rice, prawn crackers and vegetable spring rolls ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ›๐ŸฅŸ and our members did a fantastic job preparing the peppers, onions and mushrooms โ€” great teamwork and confidence in the kitchen! ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿณ

We also had lots of fun with a quiz and bingo ๐ŸŽ‰ Huge well done to all our winners ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ‘ A big heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers and everyone who helped out today โ€” we truly couldnโ€™t do it without you โค๏ธ And special thanks to Peter the caretaker for kindly setting up the tables for us ๐Ÿ™Œ

These sessions are about more than just foodโ€ฆ theyโ€™re about friendship, laughter and feeling connected ๐Ÿ’ž We are so proud of everyone who comes along and gives it a go. We will see you all Wednesday for music and pizza ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ• ๐ŸŽค

Gardening Report

Today we visited the TARAGGAN Educational Gardens and continued digging and weeding on our plot ๐ŸŒฑ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐ŸŒพ Everyone worked really hard and the plot is really starting to take shape โ€“ weโ€™re so proud of the progress! Huge well done to our amazing volunteers ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ‘ The beautiful flowers have started to bloom ๐ŸŒผ๐ŸŒธ and it really feels like spring is almost here!

Just a reminder that we wonโ€™t be at the gardens next week as weโ€™ll be welcoming the lovely Gerraint from All Wales People First to talk about their manifesto and Adfest. The meeting starts at 11am โ€“ youโ€™re very welcome to join us ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธโœจ TARAGGAN is always looking for volunteers who have knowledge and some time to spare. If you think you could help, please get in touch ๐Ÿ™Œ๐ŸŒฟ

Reconnect Through Music โ€“ Session Report ๐ŸŽคโœจ

We had another fantastic Reconnect Through Music session this morning! The room was full of energy, laughter, and brilliant performances as we sang an amazing 28 songs together. ๐ŸŽต๐Ÿ’ƒ Our members brought us a wonderful mix of classics and hidden gems, covering music from the 1950s right through to the 2020s โ€“ what a journey through the decades, and what a joy to see everyone dancing, smiling, and socialising ๐Ÿ•บ๐Ÿ“ป๐ŸŽถ It was also lovely to welcome two new members, Cheryl and Claire, to their very first session with us. We hope you both enjoyed it and felt the warm Reconnect Through Music spirit! We were treated to so many brilliant performances, including:

Hywel and Kelvin โ€“ bringing us some fantastic Cliff Richard favourites ๐ŸŽธ
Rebecca โ€“ with a toe-tapping rendition of 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton ๐Ÿค 
Adrian and Andrew โ€“ rocking the room with a couple of Elvis classics ๐Ÿ•บโœจ
Sean โ€“ getting us Eurovision-ready with Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz ๐ŸŽ‰
Christine โ€“ bringing the party vibes with We Like to Party by Vengaboys ๐ŸšŒ๐ŸŽถ
Ffion and Amy โ€“ delivering two powerful Tina Turner classics ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐ŸŽค
Anthony โ€“ leading us in a triumphant We Are the Champions by Queen ๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ™Œ

And of course, there were many more brilliant performances that kept the atmosphere buzzing all morning! ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŽผA big thank you to Christy and Cheryl for preparing our delicious lunch of ham and cheese rolls and crisps โ€“ it was very much appreciated after all that singing! ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ‘Thank you to everyone who took part and made todayโ€™s session so special. We canโ€™t wait to do it all again in two weeks! ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ’™

Eye Care Research

Last week our members attended a fantastic workshop at the University of South Wales (in Glyntaff), joining other People First groups and TRAC members ๐Ÿ‘ The session was led by Edward Oloidi, who is carrying out important research into ๐Ÿ‘€ eye care for people with a learning disability. Some people also joined online ๐Ÿ’ป, making sure everyone had the chance to be involved ๐Ÿ™Œ We had really meaningful discussions about:

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ What works well
โš ๏ธ What doesnโ€™t work
๐Ÿ’ก 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 ๐Ÿ™โœจ

Reconnect Through Music Session โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŽถ

Todayโ€™s Reconnect Through Music session was a fantastic success, with a brilliant turnout on a beautiful sunny day ๐ŸŒž. The room was full, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere as everyone came together to enjoy over 20 amazing performances from our talented members ๐ŸŽคโœจ.

We kicked off the session in style with Ellysia performing Dancing Queen by ABBA ๐Ÿ’ƒ, instantly getting everyone in the mood. Anthony kept the energy high with Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson ๐ŸŽถ, followed by Seanโ€™s great rendition of Oh Julie by Shakinโ€™ Stevens ๐ŸŽค. Amy delivered a powerful performance of Undo by Sanna Nielsen ๐ŸŒŸ, and Kelvin brought plenty of charm with Living Doll by Cliff Richard ๐ŸŽธ. Alongside these, there were many other wonderful performances that kept the room buzzing throughout.

It was brilliant to see so many smiling faces ๐Ÿ˜Š, with members singing along, dancing ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿ•บ, 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 ๐Ÿ‘‹โ€”it was great to have you join us!

A big thank you goes to Pete for setting everything up ๐ŸŽ›๏ธ, and to Christy, Cheryl, and Helen for preparing a lovely lunch ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ. Most importantly, thank you to all our members who continue to make each session so memorable ๐Ÿ’™.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Feedback from today:
๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ โ€œI love this session so much, with all my friends around me.โ€ โ€“ Anthony
๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ โ€œItโ€™s a helpful and happy atmosphere, and fun.โ€ โ€“ Ceri

Weโ€™re already looking forward to the next session! ๐ŸŽถโœจ

No Cash, No Rights Protest

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 โค๏ธ

No cash = no rights.

For many adults with learning disabilities, cash isnโ€™t just money โ€” itโ€™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 โ€” not one or the other. Because real inclusion means making sure everyone can take part.

We made our voices heard loud and proud ๐ŸŽถ
We sang a brilliant song written by Cwm Taff members and chanted: โ€œKeep cash, keep choice, listen to every voice!โ€

This is so important. A cashless society risks leaving people behind โ€” and thatโ€™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 ๐Ÿฆ โ€ฆbut unfortunately, they didnโ€™t take cash โ€” which just shows exactly why this campaign matters. Thank you Cwm Taff People First for inviting us to join you at this important protest ๐Ÿชง๐Ÿ—ฃ๐Ÿ’ธ

Letโ€™s keep raising awareness.
Letโ€™s keep pushing for change.
Letโ€™s keep cash, keep choice, and listen to every voice ๐Ÿ’ฌโœจ

Reconnect Through Cookery ๐Ÿ

What a fantastic session we had on Friday! Our members cooked up a delicious lasagne made with 5% lean minced beef, served with fresh salad and sides. ๐Ÿฅ— Our wonderful members worked hard preparing the salad, chopping lettuce, tomatoes, onions, spring onions, cucumber and peppers. We also enjoyed peas and garlic bread with our meal. Everything tasted amazing! ๐Ÿ˜‹

A big thank you to Natalie for being our brilliant quiz master ๐Ÿง  and Sian for calling the bingo numbers ๐ŸŽฑ โ€“ lots of laughs and fun as always! Huge thanks to all our volunteers for their hard work in the kitchen ๐Ÿ‘Thank you to Anthony for sweeping the hall ๐Ÿงน and Peter the caretaker for setting up the tables for us.

The atmosphere was lovely, the food was delicious, and most importantly our members absolutely love this group and the positive impact it has on them. Sessions like this bring people together, build friendships, and help everyone learn new skills while having fun. โค๏ธ
Weโ€™ll see you all Wednesday for our Reconnect Through Music session ๐ŸŽถ