Category Archives: News

🌟💙 Volunteers’ Week Celebration! 💙🌟

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We’ve had a lovely morning celebrating with the wonderful volunteers from Platform and our amazing TARAGGAN volunteers! 🎉😊 There was plenty of yummy cake 🍰, lots of smiles 😄, and our volunteers were incredibly proud to receive their certificates 📜 and goodie bags 🎁 in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

Volunteers play such an important role in our communities. They give their time, share their skills, offer friendship, and help make activities possible for so many people. Their kindness and commitment make a real difference every day, helping to reduce isolation, build confidence, and create opportunities for others to connect and thrive. ❤️🤝 A huge thank you to Ceri and Julie for the kind invitation and for helping make the celebration so special. 💐✨ Well done to all the volunteers – today we celebrate YOU! 🌟👏🥰

Stretch, Connect and Belong Yoga

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✨ What a fantastic afternoon at our Stretch, Connect and Belong yoga session yesterday! ✨🧘‍♂️ A huge thank you to Lisa for another fun-filled session! 💜 We enjoyed plenty of giggles 😄, gentle stretching 🤸‍♀️, and used yoga cards to practise different breathing exercises 🌬️ and yoga poses 🧘.

Everyone joined in brilliantly and did an amazing job! 🌟 It was wonderful to see everyone relaxing, connecting, and having fun together. 💕😊 Of course, we finished the session with a lovely cuppa ☕ and a chat 🗣️, which is always a great way to end the afternoon. Well done everyone – we can’t wait to do it all again next week! 🎉💜

University of South Wales Training

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Ffion and Amy recently delivered lived experience training down at the University of South Wales 🎓✨ They did an amazing job sharing their personal experiences and helping students understand the importance of listening, communication, and treating people with respect and dignity 💙

Amy spoke about her experience with paramedics and going into hospital with a chest infection, while Ffion shared her experience following her knee accident and having Bell’s Palsy. The ladies also shared the experience of our volunteer Gethin and his annual health check 🩺 These real-life stories make such a difference and help future professionals learn directly from people with lived experience 🙌 Well done Ffion and Amy, you represented Caerphilly People First brilliantly 👏😊 Thank you to everyone at USW for having us — we always enjoy working together!

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW in the Simulation Suite! ✨

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Yesterday we visited the University of South Wales for another brilliant session with the TRAC team.

🎭 Hannah took on the role of Geraldine, who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and Williams syndrome.
🧡 Christy played the role of Geraldine’s support staff.
💥 Nat played a patient who had a fit and knocked herself out, bruising and cutting her head.

The students were amazing! 👏 They asked thoughtful questions about the best ways to communicate with someone who is non-verbal and explored what medical checks and support Geraldine would need for her constipation. They also worked brilliantly as a team supporting Nat’s scenario. The feedback was fantastic — it’s wonderful that TRAC students get the chance to teach, share real-life experiences, and help future nurses learn in such a meaningful way. 🌟 Well done everyone! 🌟

✨ Breakfast & Craft Yesterday ✨

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We had such a lovely morning together! 🥰 Everyone enjoyed a warm breakfast 🥐☕ and then got stuck into some gorgeous Christmas crafts 🎄🎅🎁 There was plenty of chatting, laughing, and learning something new 💬✨ The crafts looked amazing and the room was full of festive cheer! Groups like this make such a difference ❤️ They help people:

⭐ Feel less isolated
⭐ Build friendships
⭐ Learn new skills
⭐ Boost confidence
⭐ Have fun together

Thank you to everyone who joined us — you made the morning special 🤗 Can’t wait for the next one! 🎨💖

Annual Health Check Video Launch

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✨ This morning we were joined by Clair, Leah and John from the Primary Care Learning Disability Health Team for the official launch of the Annual Health Check video we’ve been working on together! 🎥💙

We talked about what an Annual Health Check is — a free check-up offered every year to people with a learning disability to help them stay healthy, spot any concerns early, and make sure they get the right support from their GP 👍🩺

The new video will now be used to train doctors, helping them understand how to make health checks easier, clearer and more accessible for everyone 👏

A huge thank you to the team for the delicious pastries and juice 🥐🧃 Everyone who took part received a voucher and certificate for the fantastic job they did featuring in the promotional video 🎉🎖️ We’re proud of everyone involved and we’re already looking forward to working together again in the future 🤝✨

TRAC members at the University of South Wales

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Friday’s session was all about midwifery 👩‍⚕️💛 Ffion played the role of someone who was 9 weeks pregnant and did a fantastic job in her role. Christy played her mam, and the student nurses interacted brilliantly — speaking directly to Ffion, explaining everything clearly, and taking their time.

We also had a Learning Disability Nurse on hand 👩‍⚕️💙 who clarified things with Ffion and offered easy-read information, making sure she understood everything in a way that suited her needs. LD nurses are so important, especially when someone with a learning disability is pregnant. All fields of nursing should practice the same approach — clear communication, patience, and respect. It makes a huge difference. ❤️

Meanwhile, Gethin and Nat had just come home from the hospital with their new baby 👶🍼 And yes… believe it or not… they didn’t bicker for a change! 🤣 They were absolutely hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

A huge well done to everyone — our TRAC members and the students. ⭐ We’re already looking forward to the next session and working with you all again soon! 🙌💛

🎄✨ Christmas Craft Session ✨🎄

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Yesterday our members enjoyed another brilliant Christmas craft session with Louise and the team from Multiply! 🎅🧶 They made the cutest Christmas gonks out of wool, and everyone did an amazing job. ❤️

We all enjoyed a lovely cuppa ☕ and some tasty pastries 🥐 while chatting and socialising together. It was a warm, festive morning filled with fun and creativity! ⭐💬 Don’t forget — our last craft session is next Tuesday! 🎁✨

✨ Reconnect Through Cookery

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On Friday our members cooked up a delicious cottage pie 😋🥔 and prepared fresh leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower 🥦🥬🌿. Everyone worked together brilliantly and the kitchen smelled amazing!

A HUGE thank you to all our lovely volunteers for helping in the kitchen ❤️, and to our fantastic support staff for running the quiz and bingo 🎉🧩. And a special shout-out to Peter for setting everything up — we appreciate you! 🙌 It was definitely a session to remember 💛

See you all tomorrow for Reconnect Through Music 🎶 and Friday for our Silent Disco Christmas Party 🎧🎄

Reconnect Through Music

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Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was full of energy, joy, and festive spirit! With 22 fantastic performances, members showcased a brilliant range of songs — from heartfelt ballads to upbeat Christmas classics. The hall looked magical thanks to the Christmas decorations 🎄✨, creating the perfect atmosphere for a fun and welcoming afternoon.

A few highlights from today’s performers:

Matilda sang “Wild Heart” by The Vamps 💙
Mandy gave a powerful performance of “The Power of Love” by Jennifer Rush 🌟
Theresa performed “If I Never See You Again” by Wet Wet Wet 🎶
Anthony sang “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen 👀💗
Ffion performed “Nice To Meet You” by Myles Smith 🎵

Christmas Songs 🎅🎄

Susan sang “Mistletoe and Wine”
Ellysia performed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 🎁💖
Sean shared a lovely version of “Away in a Manger”
Adrian treated us to “Blue Christmas” 💙🎄

All performers brought enthusiasm, confidence, and festive spirit to the stage. Well done, everyone! 👏✨ In addition everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet of hot dogs prepared by Christy, Cheryl, Zoe, and Helen 🌭😋. A big thank you to the team for their hard work!

We received some wonderful feedback from participants:

Sean said he enjoyed singing, chatting, meeting people, and the food! 🎤🗣️🤝🍽️
Ellie and Becky loved dancing 💃🎶
Anthony shared that he loves everyone who attends! ❤️🥰

Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was joyful, festive, and full of talent; the event was a huge success. Thank you to all performers, volunteers, and supporters who make these sessions so special. It’s clear that these sessions help people feel connected, confident, and part of a supportive community.