Our Day Out to Barry Island

Yesterday, staff, volunteers and members had a lovely day out at Barry Island! 😊
We caught the train from Caerphilly πŸš† and had a nice walk along the seafront πŸ‘£. Some of us went on the funfair rides 🎒 β€” our brave members tackled the dodgems, the log flume, the waltzers, and many more exciting rides! πŸŽ πŸ’¦πŸŽ’
We enjoyed coffee and refreshments at Marco’s in the morning β˜•πŸ°, and in the afternoon, we treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream 🍦 β€” perfect on a sunny day!
We also had fun at the penny arcade 🎰 and bumped into some of our friends from Newbridge who also came by train! πŸ‘‹
Everyone had a great day full of fresh sea air 🌬️, smiles 😊 and walking by the beach πŸ–οΈ. By the end of the day, we were tired but happy! πŸ’™
We can’t wait for our next seaside adventure! 🐚🧒🌞

Disabled People’s Rights 10-Year Plan!

Last week we met with Tracey Drew from All Wales People First and our friends from Swansea Self Advocacy Groups πŸ’¬πŸ§‘β€πŸ€β€πŸ§‘
We talked about the big 10-year plan to make life fairer for disabled people in Wales πŸ’ͺ🌍
βœ… We shared our thoughts on what’s good
βž• We said what could be better
πŸ’‘ We gave ideas to help improve the plan
The plan includes: 🏠 Independent living
πŸ§‘β€πŸ« More training & jobs
πŸ₯ Better healthcare
🚌 Easier transport
πŸ“„ Info in Easy Read
🎀 And making sure our voices are heard!
We were proud to speak up and be included! πŸ™ŒπŸ§‘

Travel Confidence Trip with Clare from Transport for Wales

We recently jumped aboard for a fantastic Travel Confidence trip with the lovely Clare from Transport for Wales! πŸ™Œ
We set off from Pengam Station and travelled to Cardiff Queen Street, before heading down to the beautiful Barry Island πŸ–οΈβ˜€οΈ
On the way back, we enjoyed a direct journey from Barry Island to Pengamβ€”and we were lucky enough to ride on one of the brand new trains! πŸš„ They’re so comfortable, spacious, and much quieter than the old ones πŸ™‰πŸ‘
We had coffee and cold drinks at Marco’s β˜•πŸ₯€, took a lovely stroll along the front πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈπŸšΆβ€β™‚οΈ, and of course, no trip to Barry Island is complete without chips and ice cream 🍟🍦
Everyone had a fab day, full of fun, sunshine, and confidence-building travel skills πŸŒŸπŸ’™
Thanks again to Clare and Transport for Wales for supporting us to travel safely and independently β€οΈπŸš‰

Reconnect Through Cookery Fun!

At our first July session of Reconnect Through Cookery, our amazing members got hands-on prepping onions πŸ§…, mushrooms πŸ„, and peppers 🌢️ to add to our delicious Mayflower chicken curry! Some preferred it plain – all served with plain or vegetable rice 🍚 and crunchy prawn crackers 🦐. YUM!
We had a sweet treat too – a slice of chocolate cake 🍰 to celebrate Reese’s birthday! πŸŽ‚πŸ₯³
After lunch, we had a brilliant time playing bingo 🎱 and testing our brains with a fun quiz 🧠 β€” big shoutout to: πŸ’› Peter the caretaker for all his support
πŸ’› Sarah for being our bingo boss
πŸ’› Nat for hosting the quiz like a pro!
These sessions aren’t just about food – they’re about friendship, laughter, learning new skills, reducing isolation, and having a great time together. πŸ’¬πŸ‘«πŸ§ 
Thank you to our fab volunteers and members for making it all possible – you’re the heart of Reconnect πŸ’š

Reconnect Through Music – What a Session!

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!