On Friday, our members came together to make a delicious pasta bake.
๐ง They carefully prepared the onions ๐ฅ Added a fresh salad on the side ๐จโ๐ณ And everyone worked together to create a meal full of flavour and teamwork!
After the cooking, members enjoyed a fun quiz ๐ which brought lots of laughter and learning.
๐ Thanks to Our volunteers – we couldnโt do it without you! Your support makes these sessions smooth and enjoyable. ๐
๐ข Our next cookery session will be held on ๐ Friday, 26th September, so bring your energy, smiles, and enthusiasm! โจ We look forward to seeing you all then!
Amy Jones – supported by Ffion Poole – recently attended the All Wales People First National Council meeting at The Grand Hotel in Swansea. After introductions, the first agenda item was to go through the minutes of the last meeting. Next came the Chief Executive’s Report during which, in Joe Powell’s absence, Kurtis gave an update on LD Mag.
National Council reps then spoke about national actions, during which Amy provided feedback we have received from our members. Amy said that our members would like longer GP appointments, easy read letters from their doctors, and more annual health checks for people with learning disabilities. She also shared that our members said there needs to be more support in mental health services for adults with mental health issues, as well as people with learning disabilities.
Kelly then gave a communication update and said All Wales People First are in the process of making updates to how Talkback is distributed to members. We also spoke about the WhatsApp group for National Council reps, and came up with some rules the reps had to agree on.
After lunch Tracey shared the draft manifesto that All Wales People First has been putting together, and members shared their experiences with Direct Payments, and answered some questions from a consultation document about Direct Payments. It was a really interesting meeting and it was lovely to see everyone!
What an amazing session yesterday โ we had over 25 songs sung by our talented members! ๐ค๐ซ
๐ Ellysia wowed us with “The Final Countdown” by Europe ๐ Ffion and Amy gave us a blast from the past with “Flying the Flag” by Scooch ๐ Natalie sang beautifully with “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia ๐ Adrian sang “Love Me Tender” by Elvis ๐ Sean took us back to the 1950s with “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley ๐ And Rebecca touched our hearts with “It’s All Coming Back to me Now” by Celine Dion
We heard so many incredible performances, and also tucked into a lovely buffet โ thank you to all our amazing volunteers! We canโt wait to see you all again in two weeks’ time (17th September)! ๐
On Friday our members made a delicious Chinese Chicken Curry ๐! They worked hard preparing peppers ๐ถ, onions ๐ง , and mushrooms ๐ before serving it with fluffy rice ๐ and crispy prawn crackers ๐ฆ. We enjoyed bingo ๐ฑ and a fun quiz ๐คฉ๐ โ plenty of laughs all round! A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers ๐๐, and also to Peter the caretaker ๐ ๏ธ๐ for setting up the tables. A very special Happy 21st Birthday ๐๐๐ to our wonderful volunteer Rees โ we celebrated early with cake ๐๐ฐ! Our members absolutely love these sessions ๐ฅฐ๐ โ cooking, eating together, and having fun!
What an amazing session yesterday โ we had over 30 songs sung by our talented members! ๐ค๐ซ ๐ Matilda wowed us with “Kiss Me” by Olly Murs ๐ Ffion and Amy gave us a blast from the past with “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League ๐ Rebecca sang beautifully with “Flower” by Miley Cyrus ๐ ๐ Anthony gave us a few tunes โ our favourite was “Love Me Tender” by Elvis ๐ ๐ Hywel touched our hearts with “How Great Thou Art” ๐ โฆAnd so many more incredible performances! ๐ฅณ We also tucked into a lovely buffet โ thank you to all our amazing volunteers and a big shoutout to Peter for setting up! ๐๐ It was also lovely to welcome a new member into the group โ we canโt wait to see you again!
Yesterday Caerphilly People First members had a lovely walk around Bargoed Woodland Park โ the views were beautiful, and there are so many different routes to explore! ๐ณ๐ We managed to get in over 6,000 steps โ well done everyone! ๐๐ฅ
After our walk, we headed back to the office and celebrated Anthony and Christopherโs birthday with some delicious cake ๐๐๐ Happy birthday to the twins! ๐ฅณ๐ฌ
Last week we enjoyed a lovely walk around Pen y Fan Pond and spotted lots of fish and wildlife ๐ฆ๐ฆ. Afterwards, we visited a gorgeous little hidden gem right opposite โ Fferm Gelli Camping Site ๐โจ. We got to feed the friendly alpaca ๐ฆ (Jack) and Gethin made friends with the horses ๐ดโฆ well, one loved him so much it gave him a little nibble ๐ ๐. This beautiful spot is home to ducks ๐ฆ, chickens ๐, rabbits ๐, and many other adorable animals ๐พ. ๐ Such a lovely day filled with nature, fresh air, and furry friends!
On Friday we kept it fresh and tasty! Our amazing members prepared a colourful salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, spring onions, radish, and lettuce ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง ๐ฅฌโ then made their own wraps with cheese, ham, chicken, or a bit of everything! ๐๐ฏ ๐ A huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers for all your help, to Ffion for the brilliant quiz ๐ง ๐, and to Pete the caretaker for setting everything up โ you’re a legend! โญ๐ ๏ธ A big welcome to our new member Rachael โ it was lovely to have you join us today, and we canโt wait to see you again! ๐๐ ๐ถ Weโll see everyone on Wednesday for Reconnect Through Music โ get ready to sing, dance, and have a great time! ๐ค๐๐บ
Viva Fest 2025 didnโt disappoint! ๐ We had an amazing day at the ICC Wales ๐ถ๐ฅ trying out African drumming, getting creative with crafts ๐จ, having a go at archery ๐ฏ, chatting to all the stall holders ๐ฃ, and enjoying some fantastic singing and live music ๐ค๐ต. ๐คฉ The stilt walkers were incredible ๐คนโโ๏ธ, and the giant bubbles were magical. It was so lovely to see all our wonderful People First friends ๐. Massive well done to the organisers ๐๐.
๐ Gethin loved sitting on the Blood Bank motorbike ๐, Rees enjoyed trying out the police gear ๐ฎโโ๏ธ, Judith had a go on the bike ๐ดโโ๏ธ, Theresa loved collecting all the free pens โ๏ธ, and Libby had fun with the crafts โ๏ธ.We even treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream! Canโt wait for the next one! ๐โจ
It was the perfect weather for our group walk yesterday through Bargoed Woodland Park! ๐ณ๐ถโโ๏ธ๐ถโโ๏ธ Well done to everyone who joined us โ it was a long one, but you all smashed it! ๐ช๐ Lovely views, fresh air, good company, and lots of laughs along the way! ๐๐