Tag Archives: caerphilly people first

TRAC in Action at the University of South Wales!

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Yesterday our amazing TRAC members Amy, Gethin, and Natalie teamed up with maternity student nurses and learning disability nurses for a powerful training session! They took part in realistic scenarios based on being new parents and preparing for the arrival of a baby. The goal? To show how all fields of nursing must work together for the best outcomes.

Communication is key! It’s not just what we say – it’s how we say it. Clear explanations, empathy, and tailored support can make a HUGE difference for parents with learning disabilities. By supporting people properly, we give everyone the chance to become amazing parents and raise their babies in a safe, loving environment. They absolutely loved the day and took away some important lessons!

Massive thanks to our TRAC members, the brilliant nurses, and Stacey and the whole team for making it such a great day! So proud of Amy, Gethin & Natalie; you’re helping change the future – one conversation at a time!

Reconnect Through Music Was A Hit!

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What a session we enjoyed yesterday – 50 people came along and blasted out 22 cracking tunes! Morgan brought the house down with Tom Jones, and When You Say Nothing at All by Ronan Keating, Ffion gave us all the feels with Fifteen by Taylor Swift, Sean had us dancing with a classic Madonna hit, and so many more amazing performances – the energy was through the roof!

We had pizza, dancing, singing, and laughter – what more could you want?! These sessions help build confidence, friendships, and bring pure joy to everyone involved. Our members say they “feel included, happier, and more confident” – and we LOVE hearing that! See you all again on Wednesday, May 14th – we can’t wait!

Chair Yoga

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Another fantastic Chair Yoga session with the lovely Lisa yesterday! As well as our usual attendees, we welcomed Ben, a new member to the group. The main activity today involved members rolling dice to decide which yoga poses the group would do. The poses we did included:

Tree pose
Butterfly pose
Warrior Pose
Half-moon pose
Plank

As usual we finished the session with relaxing music (and even Gethin was quiet!). It was lovely to stretch our muscles and spend an hour feeling relaxed and calm. Next week’s Chair Yoga session will be held on Wednesday rather than Tuesday, so we hope to see you all then!

Reconnect Through Cookery

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On Friday our members chopped celery, onions, and mushrooms to mix with our 5% fat lean mince and create a delicious spaghetti Bolognese. We served it with linguine, garlic bread, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top – yum!

We also had a fab time playing bingo, answering quiz questions, and enjoying some great music. It was lovely to see some new faces joining us too. A great day full of food, fun, and friendship!

‘My Rights and Me’ Radio Show

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What a fab morning we had yesterday with our friends from Torfaen People First, recording a radio show at Able in Cwmbran. The topic? Human Rights – including our right to relationships, marriage, and friendship.

We had open and honest chats about love, what it means to us, and shared our own experiences in relationships. There were some real talk moments, plenty of learning, and of course… loads of giggles too! We even chose some top tunes to play when the show goes live on air! Can’t wait to hear it back! Big thanks to Jenny and the team – you made it a day to remember!

Reconnect Through Music – What a Session!

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Today our amazing members sang 29 songs, and the room was full of love, fun, and laughter! We danced our hearts out, enjoyed a cracking Easter raffle, and munched on yummy hot dogs!

So many new faces joined us – it was truly a special day filled with joy, singing, and togetherness. Great feedback as always – thank you!

Because you all LOVE the dancing so much, the next session on April 30th will have 20 minutes at the end just for more boogying – don’t forget your dancing shoes! Have a fantastic Easter everyone; we can’t wait to see you soon!

One Planet Project

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We’ve had another great morning with Kurtis and Mared from Innovate Trust as part of the One Planet Project! Today’s session was all about composting and saving rainwater for the garden.

We learned:

What composting is
What we can (and can’t!) put in the compost bin
Why saving rainwater is important
How compost helps our plants grow big and strong
What is composting?

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. We turn food scraps and garden waste into rich, healthy soil that helps our plants thrive.

Why save rainwater? It’s free, eco-friendly, and perfect for keeping our gardens green and blooming without wasting tap water.

Thanks again to Kurtis and Mared – we had a brilliant time learning and getting hands-on with nature!

Reconnect through Cookery

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This week’s session was full of flavour and fun! We made a tasty Chinese chicken curry with rice and poppadoms. Some members chose plain chicken, while others loved the curry packed with onions, mushrooms, and peppers – all lovingly prepared by everyone with care and smiles!

We got our brains working with a food & cookery quiz, and then had a blast with a game of bingo. Zero food waste this week – go team! Big shout-out to Peter the caretaker for always helping out, and to our amazing volunteers who bring the energy and kindness every single time! See you a week next Friday for some yummy Spaghetti Bolognese.

Chair Yoga – Fun & Relaxing!

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Another brilliant Chair Yoga session yesterday! Kirsty said she loved everything about it – and we all agree!

Here’s what we got up to:

We made calming breathing aids using pipe cleaners and beads – perfect for when we’re feeling anxious.
We used ribbons on wands for some gentle arm and shoulder stretches.
Enjoyed some lovely chair yoga movements and stretches.
A few of us even got down on the floor for some extra poses!

We ended the session with relaxing music to help us wind down. Lisa will be back with us in three weeks – and we can’t wait!

Our Planet Session 2 – Recycle, Reuse, Restore!

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Yesterday we had our second Our Planet session with the lovely Kurtis and Sophie from Innovate Trust, which was all about Recycling, Reusing, and Restoring.

We talked about:

How to recycle household items correctly.
Recycling clothes to reduce waste.
Using reusable water bottles and coffee mugs to cut down on plastic.
Saving food by cooking less, freezing leftovers, and avoiding waste.
The benefits of rechargeable batteries – and where to recycle non-rechargeables (most supermarkets that sell them will take them back!)

We also found out there’s lots of helpful recycling info on the Caerphilly Borough website if you’re ever unsure what goes where. A really educational and inspiring session – everyone enjoyed it and learned something new!