Author Archives: Peoplefirst

Crafts with Multiply

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This is a report by Morgan Jones, volunteer and Head Gardener:

When I was in Caerphilly People First yesterday, me Ffion, Gethin Chamberlain, Rees Powell and others had a crafts session with Multiply. Whilst I was there, I was given a piece of paper and a pair of scissors so I could cut it down to size, ready for when it was time to make my leather bracelet.

Using the piece of paper I was given, I had to write down either my name, or something else on there. I decided to do my initials. Once I’d done that, out of all the colours of leather that was on the table I chose red as it’s my favourite colour. I cut it to the same size, so it could be the same length as the paper and then went into another room to choose the letters I’d like on bracelet.

After I’d chosen the letters, I had a hammer and I placed each letter onto the leather and tapped them so it made a mark. Then before I went back into the room where I was bracelet making, I had to choose what coloured popper I wanted. The last thing I had to do when I went back into the other room, was to go over the letters with a permanent marker pen.

Reconnect Through Cookery – A Huge Success!

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At Friday’s cookery session we made delicious fajitas. Our amazing members prepared peppers, mushrooms, and onions, with a fresh salad on the side. Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers for their support!

We had loads of fun with bingo, a quiz, and a surprise visit from our local PCSOs, Nicola and Lesley. Everyone was excited to have their photo taken with them, and Gethin even tried on the PCSO hat!

It was a fantastic session of socialising, making friends, and learning new skills.
We finished the session singing Happy Birthday to our volunteer Amy and enjoyed some delicious Birthday cake. Next week, we’re cooking up spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread – we can’t wait!

TRAC at the University of South Wales

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Last Thursday our amazing members, Amy Jones and Natalie King, attended a TRAC meeting at the University of South Wales. The morning kicked off with a productive discussion alongside Tracy Drew and two representatives from Public Health Wales to consult on an exciting new initiative — a lung screening service that will be available in the future. Lung screening is a vital health check designed to detect early signs of lung disease or cancer before symptoms appear. This often involves a low-dose CT scan, enabling healthcare professionals to identify and address issues early, significantly improving outcomes.

We also discussed teaching interviewing and research skills and even the possibility of some members becoming researchers—an exciting opportunity for personal and professional growth. It was lovely to see members from other People First groups and connect with everyone working towards making a difference! Advocacy and participation like this truly make an impact.

Reconnect Through Music

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Reconnect Through Music never disappoints — there’s always fun, laughter, and love in the air! At the most recent session we welcomed Codie, along with new members Melanie, Luke, Michala, Terrie, and Theresa! Thanks to Lexy and Belinda for making it a great session as always. The songs, singing, and dancing were fabulous!

Special thanks to Helen and Angel for helping out in the kitchen — it’s much appreciated! And a big thank-you to caretaker Pete, who’s always there to lend a hand. See you all at the next session!

Co-production with Cwm Taff People First

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It was lovely to meet with our neighbours, the People First group at Cwm Taff, last week, when we continued working on a very important article that will eventually be published. An article is a piece of writing that shares news or information. It can be published in magazines, newspapers, or online to help lots of people understand something important. It was fantastic to see you all! Co-Production is very important.

Elections

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Caerphilly People First recently held an election for the roles of Chair and Vice-Chair. These roles represent our group at the All Wales People First National Council meetings. The National Council is where groups like ours come together to talk, share ideas, and help make important decisions for people with learning disabilities. Ffion and Hannah have done an amazing job over the past 6 years and we’d like to thanks them for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations to Amy Jones, our new Chair, and Samantha Loader, our new Vice-Chair. We’re sure you’ll both be amazing!

Tuesday Focus Group

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Report from Volunteer and Head Gardener, Morgan Jones:

In Caerphilly People First last week, me Ffion Poole, Amy Jones, Rees Powell, Gethin Chamberlain & others had a session in Multiply. Whilst we were all there, we were given a broken milk carton and we painted all around it, inside & outside. We then chose a stencil, and with it we drew the outline on a piece of paper. Then using the stencil, we chose a felt tip pen and with the stencil coloured the shape of it onto the carton. After we’d done the that, we were all given a tub of soil & Broccoli Calabrese Seeds and we sprinkled them into the carton so we could then water it. Once we finished what we were doing in Multiply, we all went back down to the CPF office to have our lunch before the health nurse came in to have a chat to us.

Caerphilly Parent Network Awards

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Congratulations to Gethin, our members & all Parent Network volunteers! Yesterday, our incredible volunteer Gethin was awarded the Sunshine Award at the Parent Network Awards, for always bringing joy and lighting up the room wherever he goes! He also had the honour of presenting the Sian Northey Award, a beautiful tribute to his mam, recognizing someone for going above and beyond. Gethin did an amazing job!

We’re also so proud of our other members who were recognized for:

Sorting clothes for the Community Clothes Project
Shredding paper in the office

A huge congratulations to all the Parent Network volunteers – you do a fantastic job in the community, and your hard work makes such a difference! Thank you all – you’re truly amazing!

Reconnect Through Cookery

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Friday’s session was all about comfort food — delicious cottage pie with veg and gravy — perfect for a cold, windy day. Our members did a fantastic job prepping the veg, onions, and celery to add to the cottage pie. The teamwork and smiles were incredible!

Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers: Cheryl, Gemma, Mark, and Connor, who went above and beyond as always. Your support means the world to us! A special shout-out to our wonderful support staff who kept things running smoothly by helping with bingo, the raffle, the register, and feedback forms—all essential to the success of these sessions.

The warmth and hugs from everyone reminded us how much these sessions mean to our community. Seeing you all enjoy yourselves is what it’s all about. Thank you for making it another unforgettable day!