Reconnect Through Music

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What an incredible turnout at our “Reconnect Through Music” session at the Little Chapel on the Hill! We had 35 amazing people — old friends and new faces—come together to sing their favourite songs, dance, and share a delicious lunch. Karaoke brought out everyone’s inner superstar, and the shared lunch created such a warm, welcoming vibe — it was all about connecting through music, laughter, and good food.

We enjoyed many other performances from our talented members, making the day even more special! A massive shoutout to Jason and Kylie, AKA Ffion and Karen, Ronan Keating AKA Morgan (our fantastic head gardener), and our Dancing Queen Paula on the mic! Huge thanks to Lexy and Zak from RecRock for running the group, and to the Libanus Lifestyle gang for funding the session through the Moon Dance Foundation. And let’s not forget the delicious cake that made the day even sweeter! Can’t wait for the next one!

National Council

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Yesterday our rep Ffion Poole attended the National Council at The Grand Hotel in Swansea, where members gave overwhelmingly positive feedback on Adfest, calling it the best one yet! Well done to everyone at All Wales People First for making it such a success!

The council also discussed important issues affecting our community, including the rising cost of living, benefit cuts, and staff shortages within social care. We also talked about the recent changes to purchasing rail tickets in Caerphilly. These changes will make it much harder for adults with learning disabilities to buy tickets independently, which is a major concern. Ensuring accessible transport options is vital for our community, and we’ll continue to advocate for better solutions. Let’s keep working together to make a difference.

Parent Network Pirate Party

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Ahoy, Mateys! What a Fantastic Pirate Party! Today, Caerphilly People First Volunteers had an amazing time at the Caerphilly Parent Network Pirate Party! It was wonderful to see all the children having a blast – from playing on the bouncy castle to making their own pirate bandanas and eye patches. And, of course, there was plenty of delicious ice cream for everyone to enjoy! The pirate costumes looked fantastic, and a big thank you to the Parent Network for inviting us!

Wellbeing Wednesdays – Reflexology

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Last week, as part of our Wellbeing Wednesdays project, we had our first monthly reflexology session with Emma. Reflexology is a therapeutic technique where pressure is applied to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears, which are believed to correspond to different parts of the body. This therapy can be especially beneficial for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, as it helps reduce stress, improve mood, and ease physical tension.

In our session, we focused on the feet, but Emma will also cover hand reflexology in future sessions. Many of our members felt more relaxed and comfortable afterward, and we look forward to the continued benefits of these sessions.

A special thank you to the Gwent Regional Partnership Board for funding our wellbeing project. We have lots more planned over the coming months, including chair yoga sessions, mental health coping strategies, and much more!

Gardening Group

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Yesterday, our volunteers visited TARAGGAN Educational Gardens. The weather turned out to be beautiful, especially compared to the morning. During our time there, we moved plants to the bottle greenhouse, arranged plant pots into sizes and stacked them up, and even had a go at using a wheelbarrow, making the most of the pleasant conditions.

We volunteer every Tuesday morning from 10:30am until 12:00pm. If you would like to get involved, please email enquiries@caerphillypeoplefirst.org

“A Healthy Future for Gwent”

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On August 15th members attended a Co-Production Luncheon to talk about how to make Gwent healthier over the next ten years. The goal was to share ideas and work together to improve health services in the area.

We discussed how different groups can work together to improve healthcare and looked at what needs to be done first to make Gwent healthier. Attendees came up with the following proposals:

  • We need to strengthen relationships between organizations and the community.
  • It’s important to listen to people who use health services and involve them in decisions.
  • Health and social care services should work together to support people better.
  • Focus on preventing health problems before they start, through education and early help.
  • Use technology like telemedicine to improve how we deliver health services.
  • Make sure health services can keep going long-term, with enough funding and resources.
  • Create a plan for involving the community in health decisions.
  • Try out new ways to combine health and social care services.
  • Start more programs to help prevent health problems.
  • Expand the use of technology in healthcare to reach more people.
  • Make a plan for the future to ensure health services are ready for the next ten years.

The luncheon was a great success. We shared many good ideas about how to make Gwent healthier. Now, we need to work together to make these ideas happen. We look forward to seeing you all at the next event.

Panel Discussion with Nursing Students

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Last week TRAC members Ffion, Amy, Natalie, Gethin, and James from Caerphilly People First participated in an important panel discussion with year two learning disability nursing students at the University of South Wales. The session, led by Professor Dr. Steve Walden, provided a platform for TRAC members to share their personal experiences with healthcare services, offering the students a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities.

Each TRAC member shared their own story, detailing both positive and negative experiences within the healthcare system. These real-life examples gave the nursing students a unique opportunity to hear directly from those who have navigated the system, highlighting areas where care was effective and where it fell short.

Both the TRAC members and the students acknowledged that while progress has been made, there is still significant room for improvement in how healthcare services are delivered to people with learning disabilities.

Overall, the discussion was both productive and enlightening. Ffion, Amy, Natalie, Gethin, and James did an excellent job of sharing their experiences and helping the students understand the real-world impact of their work. The session was a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to and learning from those with lived experience in order to drive meaningful change in healthcare.