Author Archives: Peoplefirst

Stretch, Connect and Belong

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What better way to finish off a Tuesday than with a relaxing yoga session at our Stretch, Connect and Belong group with Lisa 🧘‍♀️💙✨ Our members love getting stuck in and having fun together! At our most recent session we played yoga dice and chose lots of different poses including the tree 🌳, superman 🦸, dancing pose 💃, baby pose 👶 and many more. We enjoyed some gentle stretches, lots of giggles 😂, mindfulness and relaxation time with soothing music 🎶 We also made beautiful calming sounds by gently tapping the singing bowl 🥣✨ which everyone really enjoyed and found relaxing.

These sessions are very accessible for everyone 💙 Some members choose to use chairs while others prefer using mats, allowing everyone to join in comfortably at their own pace 😊 Everyone did an amazing job taking part and supporting one another. We finished the session with a lovely cuppa, biscuits and a chat ☕🍪💙 Thank you Lisa for another brilliant session!

University of South Wales Simulation

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Another fantastic morning last week down at the University of South Wales simulation suite with the student nurses 👏🏥💙 Gethin played a patient with an injured shoulder, Hannah played a patient whose knee had popped out, both attending minor injuries, and Nat played Geraldine, a patient suffering with constipation. 🩺🦵💊

The student nurses gave amazing care throughout the scenarios and showed great communication skills, kindness and professionalism 🌟 They asked important questions about each person’s health profile and made reasonable adjustments to make sure everyone felt comfortable and supported ❤️

A health profile is a document that gives important information about a person’s health needs, communication, medication, likes, dislikes and the best ways to support them. This helps healthcare staff give the right care and understand the person better 📋😊 Everyone did a really great job and the sessions were not only educational but lots of fun too 😄🎭 We really enjoy taking part in the simulation suite sessions and helping future nurses gain valuable experience 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️Well done everyone! 👏💙

🎶✨ Reconnect Through Music – Today’s Session ✨🎶

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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 ❤️🎶

Stretch, Connect and Belong Yoga Session

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Yesterday, at our Stretch, Connect and Belong yoga session we took things nice and easy due to the heat ☀️🧘‍♀️ We enjoyed some gentle stretches, relaxation and mindfulness together. Everyone had a turn smelling different relaxing scents and talking about how they made us feel 🌸🍋💜 It was lovely hearing everyone’s thoughts and favourites!

We also had some new faces join us today which was so lovely to see 👋❤️ We finished the session with relaxing music and a calming story during our relaxation time 🎶📖 Thank you everyone for another lovely afternoon. See you all next week❤️

Reconnect through Cookery

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At Friday’s Reconnect through Cookery session we served homemade corned beef pie 🥧😋 Our members prepared the potatoes 🥔 and broccoli 🥦 and we served it with peas, green beans, creamy mash and lots of tasty gravy 🍽️✨ Everything was absolutely delicious and everyone did an amazing job 👏💚 A massive thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for all your help and support — we couldn’t do it without you 🌟🤝

Reconnect Through Music

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A huge thank you to all our wonderful members for coming along today, especially on such a scorching hot day! 🌞💛 It was fantastic to see everyone enjoying another brilliant music-filled session together. We were treated to an amazing variety of performances, with songs ranging from the 1950s right through to the current day! 🎤

🎸 Ffion and Gethin kicked us off with “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker”
🌴 Hywel sang the classic “Summer Holiday”
☀️ Morgan followed with another very fitting tune, “Seasons in the Sun”
✨ Tilly performed “How It’s Done” from K Pop Demon Hunters
🕺 Christine thrilled us with “Thriller” by Michael Jackson
🌤️ Sean brightened the room with “Mr Blue Sky” by ELO
🎶 Reinhardt rocked out with “Devil Gate Drive” by Suzi Quattro
🗽 Anthony rounded things off beautifully with “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra

A massive thank you to Christy and Cheryl for preparing our delicious lunch 🍽️❤️ and to all of our amazing volunteers for helping the day run so smoothly 👏💙

🗣️ Feedback from today:
💬 Anthony said: “I love these sessions, thank you.”
💬 Hywel said he enjoys chatting to friends and the food we provide.
💬 Morgan said he loves everything, especially socialising with friends.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us today — we look forward to seeing you all again in two weeks for our normal music session, followed by an hour of African drumming!

Reconnect Through Music

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Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was another brilliant get-together! 🌟 The room was filled with singing and friendship as our talented members performed an amazing 25 songs. Everyone showed confidence, enthusiasm, and joy — it was a day to remember. 🎶💫 Every performer gave it their all, and the support from the audience made it even more special. 👏🎤✨

Our members gave some incredible performances that had everyone smiling and clapping along:

🎙️ Natalie sang Why by Annie Lennox — such emotion and power!
🌈 Matilda brought energy and confidence with Naughty from Matilda the Musical.
❤️ Mandy gave a beautiful version of If You Don’t Know Me by Now by Simply Red.
💰 Adrian had us all moving with Money, Money, Money by ABBA.
🔥 Theresa performed Eternal Flame by The Bangles.
💞 Anthony sang What About Us by Champaign and wowed everyone.
☀️ Ellysia lifted the room with Mr. Blue Sky by ELO.

A big thank you to Christy, Cheryl, and Helen for preparing the delicious sandwiches and sausage rolls. 🥪🌭 We received some lovely feedback from those who attended:

🎧 Jason said he loved the music and singing.
💬 Vicky shared that she enjoyed mixing with people.
🤝 Rebecca said she loved meeting up with everyone again.
🗣️ Rachel enjoyed talking with new friends.
🌟 Anthony said it was an excellent day.
💪 Judith said the session helped build her confidence.

It was wonderful to see how much these sessions mean to everyone — not just for the music, but for the chance to connect, make friends, and feel part of something special. 💞🎶Today reminded us why these sessions matter so much — music brings people together, builds confidence, and fills the room with joy. 💖 A huge well done to everyone who took part, helped out, and made the day unforgettable. 🥰

✨ Craft with Deb & Louise from Multiply ✨

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What a brilliant day at our Meet and Make sessions yesterday! Our members made gorgeous snow globes ❄️⛄ — and they looked absolutely amazing! Our members did a great job learning something new and getting creative. 💙✨

🕙 Session Times:

  • Morning: 10am – 12pm
  • Afternoon: 1pm – 3pm
  • Location: Bargoed YMCA

⭐ How we made our snow globes:

1️⃣ Fill a clean jar with water
2️⃣ Add glitter or fake snow ✨
3️⃣ Glue a small decoration or figure to the inside of the lid
4️⃣ Screw the lid on tightly
5️⃣ Give it a shake and watch the magic happen! ❄️💙

A huge thank you to Deb and Louise for another fantastic Multiply session 😊 Everyone had fun, learned new skills, and made something special to take home. Can’t wait for next week!

🎉 Reconnect Through Cookery 🍽️

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On Friday we cooked up an amazing feast! 😋 Our members made sausage bake, tuna bake, and ham & cheese – all served with warm garlic bread 🥖🧄 and a lovely fresh salad 🥗 prepared by our fantastic team. We had tomatoes 🍅, lettuce 🥬, cucumber 🥒, red onion 🧅 and spring onions – absolutely delicious!

A huge thank you to Mark, Rees, Nat, and everyone who worked hard in the kitchen 👏 Big shoutout to Sarah for doing the quiz and helping to serve lunch 🧠🍽️ and Ffion for sorting the register ✅ We all had a brilliant day eating, chatting, and socialising together 💛
See you all Wednesday for Reconnect Through Music 🎶💃🕺

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW with TRAC! ✨

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Yesterday Ffion, Natalie, and Gethin attended the University of South Wales as part of the TRAC (Teaching & Resource Advisory Committee) project. TRAC gives nursing students the chance to learn through real-life scenarios, helping them build confidence, empathy, and the practical skills they’ll need in hospital settings. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🏥

Our members acted out different hospital scenarios brilliantly:

🗣️ Ffion played a non-verbal patient
🍺 Gethin had “fallen after a night on the pop” and sported a black eye
🤕 Natalie presented with a grazed, bleeding head

They were amazing as always, and the student nurses did a fantastic job too. ✅ The feedback was brilliant, and everyone worked together with professionalism, care, and a lot of enthusiasm. Nurses—especially Learning Disability Nurses—play a vital role in ensuring that people with learning disabilities receive safe, dignified, and person-centred care. Their understanding, communication skills, and compassion make a huge difference in every hospital environment. 💙

We are proud to support projects like TRAC, where lived experience helps shape better healthcare for the future. 🌟 Well done everyone — we loved the experience! 🙌😊