Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tackling Isolation and Loneliness Week 4

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For the fourth of the six events we have set up to tackle isolation and loneliness, we headed to the Fleur De Lys Community Centre in Blackwood.  We were delighted to be joined by ten people, some of whom we were meeting for the first time.  Everyone seemed very positive as we talked about our experiences of Covid, and how we have all coped. Thankfully, individuals are now increasingly going out into the community and attending events.  After the discussions we had a great time playing music requested by individuals, and we also hosted a quiz that was all about Easter.  Congratulations to Sophie and John who won the quiz and got to share the Easter egg.

Reconnect Focus Group

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We have held discussions with some of our members about what they want to do in the community and what will make a better day for them. Some members told us they would like to learn how to grow their own food. This led to us contacting the Taraggan Educational Gardens project in Bargoed, and a lovely gentleman called John invited us to pop along and take a look. John showed us a plot that our volunteers/members can work on to grow their own vegetables. Some of our members decided that they would love to do this, and we have now signed a lease for a plot and can’t wait to get started!

Good Governance for Groups

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Caerphilly People First trustees, members and staff recently took part in ‘Good Governance for Groups’ training, delivered by Philippa Davies from All Wales People First. Governance is:

  1. Making sure that a group is following the law.
  2. Making sure that the organisation is doing things properly and following the right rules.
  3. Making sure the organisation is doing what it aims to do.

We found the training very informative, detailed, and easy to understand, and we will take what we’ve learned and use it to improve the way we run Caerphilly People First.

Meeting with Chris Evans MP

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We recently met with Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn since 2010, and the Shadow Minster for Defence since 2021.  We talked in detail about the proposed changes to the Human Rights Act (1998) and the lack of consideration given to people with learning disabilities when documents are produced.  Chris Evans has agreed to write to Deputy Prime Mister Dominic Raab to stress the importance of easy read documents, and the concerns people with learning disabilities have over the proposed changes to the Human Rights Act.  We would like to thank Chris Evans and his secretary for taking the time to visit us and hear our thoughts.

Tackling Isolation and Loneliness

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This week we held a coffee afternoon at Libanus Lifestyle Centre, as part of our project to tackle isolation and loneliness, funded by the Caerphilly Cares Team.  We were delighted to be joined by new faces, as well as some people we already know.  The group had a great discussion on the effects the pandemic has had on our mental wellbeing.  Some people talked about having to shield because of underlying health conditions, which made them feel extremely lonely, especially over the Christmas period.  The group also talked about the lack of support for people during lockdown.  A couple who attended said it was their first time being out with a group in a social setting for over two years.  The event was also attended by regular Caerphilly People First members, who talked about their anxiety when using public transport for the first time in years.  The next meeting of this group will be held on Monday 28th at March, again at Libanus Lifestyle Centre in Blackwood, and all are welcome to attend.

Fundraising for Ukraine

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We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who attended this week’s coffee morning held to raise money for Ukraine. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we have raised over £200 so far, and this will be donated to the British Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian appeal. If anyone would like to donate directly to them, the link is:

https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal

Alternatively, there is still time to donate through Caerphilly People First, and if you’d like to do this you can contact Ffion Poole on 07488 350518.

Medical Students Training

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At the beginning of March, Ffion Poole and Natalie King worked alongside Cardiff People First to train medical students on how to communicate with people with learning disabilities. The training involved going into a breakout room and holding a number of interviews with students, where the conversations included what Caerphilly People First does and people’s lives and hobbies. We really enjoyed this and hope we can be involved again in the future.

Winter Wellbeing Week 4

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For the final week of our Winter Wellbeing project (funded by All Wales People First) the group took part in a mindfulness session, where they sat in a quiet room, and for 30 minutes listened to a recording to help us relax.  After the session the group felt less stressed and said they will continue to practice meditation in the future as they found it so helpful.

As it was St. David’s Day, the group took part in a quiz about Wales, and they also celebrated Shrove Tuesday with some pancakes and fresh strawberries and bananas.