The All Wales People First conference 2019 was held on the 17th and 18th October, at the Village Hotel in Cardiff. The conference was titled ‘Adfest 2019: Isolation and Loneliness’, and was attended by Ffion, Sharon and Christy.
On the first day Joe Powell, Chief Executive of All Wales People First, talked about the work that he has been doing during the year. Joe was followed by Julie Morgan AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, who spoke about what plans the Welsh Government has to help people who are experiencing loneliness and isolation. Later we used electronic voting pads to vote on questions about Loneliness, Relationships, Love and Community. One of the questions asked was: Has being part of a self-advocacy group made you less lonely?
After lunch we attended a workshop run by Pride Cymru, and one by National Centre Mental Health (Cardiff University). During the Pride Cymru workshop we were put into groups and talked about definitions such as Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual. In the mental health workshop we had to shout out words relating to wellbeing, being accepted in the community, and why people are isolated.
We began day two by having a look around the stalls which were set up in the conference room. Some of the organisations with stalls included: the Welsh Ambulance Service, Welsh Government, Pride Cymru, Public Health Wales, and the Police and Crime Commissioner. During the day these organisations gave presentations in various rooms, which people were invited to attend.
After lunch Ffion and Sharon socialised and helped out on some stalls, before the conference Mirror Awards took place. Congratulations to all the award winners! At the end of the conference everyone swapped details to keep in touch, and we can’t wait for the next conference in 2020!