On Friday our members cooked up a delicious cottage pie ๐๐ฅ and prepared fresh leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower ๐ฅฆ๐ฅฌ๐ฟ. Everyone worked together brilliantly and the kitchen smelled amazing!
A HUGE thank you to all our lovely volunteers for helping in the kitchen โค๏ธ, and to our fantastic support staff for running the quiz and bingo ๐๐งฉ. And a special shout-out to Peter for setting everything up โ we appreciate you! ๐ It was definitely a session to remember ๐
See you all tomorrow for Reconnect Through Music ๐ถ and Friday for our Silent Disco Christmas Party ๐ง๐
Todayโs Reconnect Through Music session was full of energy, joy, and festive spirit! With 22 fantastic performances, members showcased a brilliant range of songs โ from heartfelt ballads to upbeat Christmas classics. The hall looked magical thanks to the Christmas decorations ๐โจ, creating the perfect atmosphere for a fun and welcoming afternoon.
A few highlights from todayโs performers:
Matilda sang “Wild Heart” by The Vamps ๐ Mandy gave a powerful performance of “The Power of Love” by Jennifer Rush ๐ Theresa performed “If I Never See You Again” by Wet Wet Wet ๐ถ Anthony sang “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen ๐๐ Ffion performed “Nice To Meet You” by Myles Smith ๐ต
Christmas Songs ๐ ๐
Susan sang “Mistletoe and Wine” Ellysia performed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ๐๐ Sean shared a lovely version of “Away in a Manger” Adrian treated us to “Blue Christmas” ๐๐
All performers brought enthusiasm, confidence, and festive spirit to the stage. Well done, everyone! ๐โจ In addition everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet of hot dogs prepared by Christy, Cheryl, Zoe, and Helen ๐ญ๐. A big thank you to the team for their hard work!
We received some wonderful feedback from participants:
Sean said he enjoyed singing, chatting, meeting people, and the food! ๐ค๐ฃ๏ธ๐ค๐ฝ๏ธ Ellie and Becky loved dancing ๐๐ถ Anthony shared that he loves everyone who attends! โค๏ธ๐ฅฐ
Todayโs Reconnect Through Music session was joyful, festive, and full of talent; the event was a huge success. Thank you to all performers, volunteers, and supporters who make these sessions so special. Itโs clear that these sessions help people feel connected, confident, and part of a supportive community.
๐ A massive thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who covered Friday’s Reconnect Through Cookery session! ๐ The food looked absolutely amazing ๐
Our members prepared peppers, onions, and mushrooms to add to a tasty Mayflower chicken curry ๐ served with fluffy rice ๐. We also enjoyed a fun game of bingo ๐ and a quiz โโthe room was full of happiness, laughter, and very full tummies! ๐๐
Also, during the session Paula received her certificate and delicious dairy- and gluten-free cake from the learning disability liaison nurses as a thank you for taking part in the annual health check video.
These sessions make such a huge difference to our members, especially on dark winter days โ๏ธโจ. They bring warmth, connection, and a reason to smile. Thank you everyone for making today so special! ๐ Weโll see you all on Wednesday for music ๐ถ๐๐บ
Yesterday our members enjoyed another fantastic craft session with Deb and Louise from Multiply. They had a brilliant time designing their own Christmas trees and making festive decorations. ๐จ๐ โจ Everyone got creative, learned something new, and made beautiful pieces to take home. We love seeing the confidence and smiles these sessions bring! ๐๐ Great work everyone โ your Christmas crafts looked amazing! ๐๐
Todayโs Reconnect Through Music session was an absolute hit! The room was packed with energy, smiles, and incredible talent. ๐๐ The atmosphere was buzzing from start to finish, with everyone joining in, singing along, and enjoying the chance to reconnect through the power of music. ๐ถ๐
A total of 27 songs were performed today! ๐ Here are some of the great performances we enjoyed:
Matilda delivered a stunning version of Never Enough from The Greatest Showman ๐ชโจ Ffion & Amy brought the fun with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ๐๐ Anthony gave a heartfelt performance of Perfect by Ed Sheeran โค๏ธ๐ธ Natalie lit up the room with Murder on the Dancefloor ๐๐ Ben, our new member, wowed everyone with Cold Heart by Dua Lipa ๐ง๐ Theresa got everyone singing along to Wonderwall ๐ธ๐ถ Adrian rocked the classic Return to Sender ๐ฌ๐ค Susan charmed the room with Take Me Home, Country Roads ๐๐ฃ๏ธ Sean brought festive cheer with Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens ๐๐ ๐ต
The group enjoyed delicious pizza prepared by Christy and Cheryl โ thank you both! ๐โค๏ธ It added to the warm and friendly atmosphere that everyone felt.
Feedback was glowing! โจ
Helen said it was a happy atmosphere and that everyone interacted so well. ๐๐ค Moira shared that she really enjoyed everything. ๐ Vicky especially loved the dancing and socialising. ๐๐บ๐
Itโs clear that todayโs session brought people together in the best possible way. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made today so special. Your energy, positivity, and talent created a wonderful day for all. ๐๐ Also a big thanks to the Moondance Foundation for funding these sessions – they make a huge difference to our members. Hereโs to many more sessions filled with music, laughter, and connection! ๐ต๐โจ
Yesterday our members enjoyed another brilliant Christmas craft session with Louise and the team from Multiply! ๐ ๐งถ They made the cutest Christmas gonks out of wool, and everyone did an amazing job. โค๏ธ
We all enjoyed a lovely cuppa โ and some tasty pastries ๐ฅ while chatting and socialising together. It was a warm, festive morning filled with fun and creativity! โญ๐ฌ Donโt forget โ our last craft session is next Tuesday! ๐โจ
On Friday we had the most wonderful time celebrating together at our Christmas party ๐๐บ We enjoyed a silent disco, with our lovely Daren keeping the party going with a disco in between ๐ถ๐ง
๐ We were thrilled to have a visit from Santa, and of course the naughty Grinch who tried to steal everyoneโs selection boxes ๐๐ There was lots of dancing, laughter, and fun, yummy buffet food, Christmas crackers pulled, and everyone looked amazing in their fancy dress and Christmas jumpers ๐๐คถ ๐๏ธ We also had some fantastic raffle prizes โ well done to all our winners! ๐
It truly was a day full of Christmas joy, smiles, and togetherness โค๏ธ A huge thank you from us all at Caerphilly People First to our amazing volunteers ๐ We couldnโt do what we do without your continued support. Special thanks to Peter, the caretaker, for all his help and support at Fleur-de-lis Community Centre throughout the year ๐
๐โค๏ธ We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, filled with love, joy, and happiness. Weโll see you all again in January โ take care and thank you for being part of our People First family โค๏ธโจ
We had a fantastic start to 2026 with our first Reconnect Through Music session of the year, and what a brilliant session it was! ๐ Despite the freezing weather outside โ๏ธ, a lovely warm and welcoming atmosphere was created by everyone who attended.
A total of 25 songs were performed by our incredibly talented members ๐ค๐ธ. The session was kicked off perfectly by Ellysia, who set the tone for the day with โHappy New Yearโ by ABBA ๐. This was followed by many great performances, including:
Natalie โ House of Fun by Madness ๐ ๐ถ Anthony โ You Drive Me Crazy by Shakinโ Stevens ๐ Ffion โ Stuck on You by Lionel Richie ๐ Sean โ Down Under by Men at Work ๐ Liz โ Simply the Best by Tina Turner ๐ Christine โ Let It Go from Frozen โ๏ธ๐ค
There was lots of singing along, dancing, and smiling throughout the session ๐๐บ๐, showing just how much everyone enjoyed the music and being back together after the Christmas break. At lunchtime, everyone enjoyed a perfect hot dog lunch ๐ญ, which gave people a chance to relax, chat, and socialise together.
We received some lovely feedback from attendees:
Victoria said she enjoyed socialising with different people ๐ค Olivia said she enjoyed meeting new people ๐ Jason said he enjoyed listening to the performances ๐ถ
A huge thank you to everyone who came out in the cold weather โ๏ธ๐. Your energy, enthusiasm, and support helped create a great session ๐ตโค๏ธ See you for another music session in two weeks (Wednesday 21st January)!
It was really nice to see our members and volunteers on Friday, at our first Reconnect through Cookery session since the Christmas break. The session had a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with everyone happy to be back together. Alongside the cooking, members also took part in group activities that encouraged social interaction and fun. A quiz and a game of bingo helped create lots of laughter and conversation, adding to the positive atmosphere of the session. Members loved reconnecting after the Christmas break, working together as a group, learning and practicing cookery skills, and taking part in fun, inclusive social activities.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped in the kitchen and supported members throughout the day, and a massive thank you to Cheryl, Zoe, and Helen for running the session and making sure everything went smoothly. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Natalie for running the quiz, and to Tasha for calling out bingo – your continued support and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.
Our next Reconnect Through Cookery session will take place on Friday 30th January, when we will be cooking cottage pie. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another enjoyable session, and we’ll see you then!