Yesterday morning we visited the simulation suite at the University of South Wales to take part in patient role play scenarios 🏥😊 The student nurses did an amazing job and worked so hard throughout the sessions 👏💙 These training situations make a real difference, helping students experience what it can be like working on a busy ward under pressure while supporting patients with care and compassion 🌟
A huge well done to all our TRAC members for taking part and helping with the training today 🙌 You were all fantastic! 💛 This was session 1 of 2, and we’re looking forward to more training and teamwork in session 2! 😊✨
A huge thank you to everyone who attended another inspiring and joyful Reconnect Through Music session today! 💛 It was wonderful to see so much talent on show, along with plenty of smiles and laughter throughout the afternoon 😊🎤 Here are just a few of the highlights we enjoyed:
🎵 Ellysia kicked us off beautifully with Never Gonna Dance Again by Pink. 🎸 Sean had everyone rocking along as he told us to Walk This Way with the classic from Aerosmith. 💃 Christine got the whole room moving with 5,6,7,8 by Steps. 🌼 Adrian gave a heartfelt performance of Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. 🎶 Dennis closed out the performances with the powerful Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad by Meat Loaf.
It was fantastic to see so many people up dancing and enjoying themselves 🕺💃 — including Paula, who treated us to some of the yoga moves she learned yesterday! 🧘♀️✨ We also loved hearing everyone’s feedback about what makes these sessions so special ❤️
💬 Ellie shared that she loves dancing and meeting friends, and said the sessions are so good for bringing everyone together. 💬 Morgan said he enjoys socialising with friends and singing his favourite songs. 💬 Ellysia said she loves seeing everyone enjoying themselves.
A special thank you to Christy and Cheryl for keeping everyone well fed with delicious pizza 🍕😋, and of course to all our amazing volunteers and everyone who attends and helps make our music sessions so special each week ❤️🎶
We had another lovely afternoon with Lisa doing yoga yesterday 🧘♀️✨ We used yoga blocks for stretching, balance and posture, and everyone chose a block out of the bag that had a yoga pose drawn on it 🟦🧘♂️ It was lots of fun and gave everyone a chance to try something different 😊
We also enjoyed some relaxing time listening to soothing music 🎶💜 Some members like to use chairs for the session while some choose to use the mats, making the sessions very accessible so everyone can take part comfortably 🌟
Everyone did an amazing job joining in and there was lots of laughter as usual 😂💛 These sessions are great for relaxation, movement, confidence and wellbeing, and it’s wonderful to see everyone supporting each other 🤝✨ See you all next week! 🥰👋
🌱☀️ Another fantastic session at TARAGGAN Educational gardens this week! We planted courgettes, lettuce, and carrots 🥕🥬 Everyone also worked really hard doing more weeding and helping to keep the garden looking beautiful 🌼👏
It was lovely to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while working together 🌞💚 Our members absolutely love these sessions and always enjoy getting involved, learning new skills, and spending time with friends 😊🌿 A big well done to everyone for all their hard work! 💪🌱
What an incredible session we had today! 🌟 This morning, our group absolutely smashed our previous record by singing an amazing 31 songs 🎤🎉 — what a milestone! We enjoyed a fantastic mix of music spanning decades and genres 🎵🕺, showing just how diverse and vibrant our group is. Some standout moments included:
🌈 Ffion and Amy bringing fun and energy with The Gummy Bear Song 🐻🎶 🎭 Tilly with two songs by Panic! at the Disco 🎤🔥 💖 Morgan serenading us with Mandy 🌟 Mandy delivering a beautiful rendition of Against All Odds by Phil Collins 💃 Anthony filling the room with joy through Love Is in the Air (and it truly was! ❤️) 🎩 Chris entertaining us with Leave Your Hat On 🎧 Dennis getting everyone moving with Dance Monkey 🕺🎶
The atmosphere was absolutely lush 🌿💫 — full of smiles 😊, laughter 😂, and brilliant dancing 💃🕺. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and enjoying themselves! A big thank you goes out to:
👏 Pete for getting everything set up 🍽️ Christy, Zoe, and Cheryl for preparing a delicious lunch 🎶 Amy and Ffion for keeping the music flowing smoothly
We’re already looking forward to the next session… can we beat our record again and hit 32 songs? 🎯🎤 See you all next time! 💛🎶
Our brand new Stretch, Connect & Belong project started yesterday at Fleur-de-lis Community Centre and will run for 10 sessions every Tuesday from 1pm–2pm, followed by 30 minutes for a cuppa ☕, a chat 💬 and session feedback 📝 — a lovely chance to connect and build friendships.
Our first session began with calming breathing and stretching exercises 🌬️💚, followed by lots of fun as our members chose a yoga pose from the surprise bag 🎁🧘. There were plenty of smiles and laughter 😊. Some members used mats, while others chose to use a chair — showing these sessions are truly accessible and inclusive for all ♿💙. For our breathing exercises we used beautiful chiffon scarves 🌈, and we finished with a peaceful relaxation session to soothing music 🎶✨ under soft ceiling lights, leaving everyone feeling calm, refreshed and uplifted.
Sessions like this are so important for people with learning disabilities because they help to:
💚 reduce anxiety and stress 💚 improve movement, balance and flexibility 💚 build confidence and independence 💚 encourage social connection and friendships 💚 reduce isolation and loneliness 💚 support emotional wellbeing and mindfulness 💚 create a safe, welcoming space where everyone belongs 🤝
A huge thank you to Lisa Harwood 💐 for such a wonderful start to our project, and thank you to our amazing members and volunteers for bringing such positive energy — everyone absolutely loved it! 🌟💖 Here’s to the next session! 🧘☕💬
What a lovely session we had on Friday! 💛 We made a delicious tuna pasta bake 🐟🍝 and a tasty sausage pasta bake 🌭🍝, served with warm garlic bread 🧄🍞😋 Our members got hands-on preparing a fresh, healthy salad 🥗 with lettuce 🥬, tomatoes 🍅, onions 🧅, and peppers 🫑 — it looked as good as it tasted! 👩🍳👨🍳
The room was filled with a relaxed, happy vibe 😊✨ Everyone was in great spirits, enjoying themselves and each other’s company 💛🤗 It really was a warm, friendly atmosphere all around 🥰🌟 A big thank you to all our amazing volunteers 🙌💙 for your support — we couldn’t do it without you 👏✨
What a lovely session we had on Friday!! We made a delicious spaghetti Bolognese served with warm garlic bread, topped off with a sprinkle of cheddar 🧀✨ Our members got hands-on preparing fresh ingredients like celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onions 🥕🍄🧅—and it tasted amazing! We also sang Happy Birthday to our wonderful volunteer Anthony 🎂🥳 who recently celebrated his birthday—enjoy your cake, lovely man! 💛
A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for your support today 💛 Special thanks to Sian for helping out and bringing the fun with bingo 🎉 and to Sarah for being our brilliant quiz master 🧠👏 It was so lovely seeing everyone enjoying themselves, sharing laughs, and sitting down together for lunch 😊🍽️ We’ll see you Wednesday for music! 🎶💃🕺
A big THANK YOU to Gerraint and Simon from Learning Disability Wales for delivering a fantastic workshop yesterday! 🙌 With the Senedd elections coming up on May 7th 2026, it was the perfect time to learn all about democracy and voting. We had great fun using the pop-up voting station 🗳
👉 Different ways to vote: In person at a polling station 🏫 By post 📮 By proxy (someone you trust votes for you) 👥
👉 How to register to vote: You can register online 🌐 You need your details (like National Insurance number) Make sure you register before the deadline ⏰
👉 How to find your constituency in Caerphilly borough: Visit the UK Government website 🔍 Enter your postcode 📍 It tells you where you vote and who represents you
We also got creative making our democracy paper chain ⛓️💡We shared ideas about what we want to see changed and improved in our communities! Why voting is important:
It gives you a voice 🗣️ It helps shape your future 🌍 Everyone’s vote matters ❤️
Our members really enjoyed this fun and informative session 😄 We learned so much and had a great time together! 👏 Thanks again to Gerraint and Simon for making it so engaging!
We had an absolutely brilliant session yesterday, with an incredible 27 songs performed! 🎤💫 The energy was amazing from start to finish
It was so lovely to see Matilda again, who wowed us with songs from The Little Mermaid 🧜♀️ and K-Pop Demon Hunters 🎶🔥. Sean brought the vibes with Tears for Fears 🎹, while Susan had everyone singing along to Living Next Door to Alice 🚪🎵.
We loved the duet from Ffion & Amy singing Olly Murs 💕🎤, and Chris gave us a fantastic It’s Not Unusual 🕺. Anthony performed Hopelessly Devoted to You ❤️, and Christine got the whole room moving with Shut Up and Dance 💃🕺 (and yes… many people DID dance!).
A huge thank you to everyone who shared their amazing talents 🌟👏 — you made the session so special. The hall was packed (big thanks to Pete for setting everything up 🙌), and the delicious pizza 🍕 prepared by Christy & Zoe was a big hit!
💬 Feedback from the group: Cheryl enjoyed meeting friends 🤝😊 Paula loved singing and chatting 🎶💬 Anthony said he loves everyone and that he’s a karaoke legend! 🎤👑
Thank you all for making it such a joyful and memorable day! 🎉🎶💖
