Today at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens we planted garlic 🧄 and onions 🧅! It was lovely to see Kyle and Sam, and a big thank you for teaching us and sharing your knowledge. 💚
Gardening has so many benefits – it helps us learn new skills, enjoy the fresh air, keep active, and connect with nature 🌿☀️. Most of all, it brings people together and makes us feel part of something special. 🌸 Thanks again to Kyle and Sam – we can’t wait to watch everything grow! 🌱👩🌾👨🌾
Last week’s Reconnect Through Music session was an amazing celebration of talent and community! 🌟 Everyone came together to enjoy a day of music, dancing, and delicious food. 🥪💃🕺
🎶 We were treated to so many incredible performances from our talented members:
🎤 Matilda wowed us with “Lose Yourself” by Justin Bieber
💖 Adrian charmed everyone with “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley
🎵 Elizabeth got everyone moving to “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
💃 Ellysia delivered a soulful rendition of “Waterfalls” by TLC
🌟 Josh brought energy with “Golden” by K-pop Demon Hunters
🎶 And Rebecca inspired us with “I’m Alive” by Celine Dion
✨ There were also other fantastic performances that showed off the wonderful range of talent in our group. It was heartwarming to see members share their talents with pride. 🌟❤️
A huge thank you 👏 to Cheryl, Zoe, Helen, and Sharon for making sure everything ran smoothly in the hall and the kitchen (preparing a delicious lunch of ham and cheese rolls). 🍳☕ Their hard work helped keep the event relaxed and enjoyable for everyone 🥪.
This session was a beautiful reminder of the power of music to bring people together, boost confidence, and create lasting memories. 💖🎵 We can’t wait for the next Reconnect Through Music event! 🥳🎶
On Friday, our members came together to make a delicious pasta bake.
🧅 They carefully prepared the onions
🥗 Added a fresh salad on the side
👨🍳 And everyone worked together to create a meal full of flavour and teamwork!
After the cooking, members enjoyed a fun quiz 🏆 which brought lots of laughter and learning.
💖 Thanks to Our volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you! Your support makes these sessions smooth and enjoyable. 🙌
📢 Our next cookery session will be held on 📅 Friday, 26th September, so bring your energy, smiles, and enthusiasm! ✨ We look forward to seeing you all then!
Report written by member Ffion Poole:
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 – we had over 25 songs sung by our talented members! 🎤💫
🌟 Ellysia wowed us with “The Final Countdown” by Europe
🌟 Ffion and Amy gave us a blast from the past with “Flying the Flag” by Scooch
🌟 Natalie sang beautifully with “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
🌟 Adrian sang “Love Me Tender” by Elvis
🌟 Sean took us back to the 1950s with “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley
🌟 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 – thank you to all our amazing volunteers! We can’t wait to see you all again in two weeks’ time (17th September)! 😊
On Friday our members made a delicious Chinese Chicken Curry 🍛! They worked hard preparing peppers 🌶, onions 🧅, and mushrooms 🍄 before serving it with fluffy rice 🍚 and crispy prawn crackers 🦐. We enjoyed bingo 🎱 and a fun quiz 🤩📝 – plenty of laughs all round!
A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers 🙌💙, and also to Peter the caretaker 🛠️👏 for setting up the tables.
A very special Happy 21st Birthday 🎉🎂🎁 to our wonderful volunteer Rees – we celebrated early with cake 🎂🍰!
Our members absolutely love these sessions 🥰💖 – cooking, eating together, and having fun!
What an amazing session yesterday – we had over 30 songs sung by our talented members! 🎤💫
🌟 Matilda wowed us with “Kiss Me” by Olly Murs
🌟 Ffion and Amy gave us a blast from the past with “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League
🌟 Rebecca sang beautifully with “Flower” by Miley Cyrus 💖
🌟 Anthony gave us a few tunes – our favourite was “Love Me Tender” by Elvis 💕
🌟 Hywel touched our hearts with “How Great Thou Art” 🙌
…And so many more incredible performances! 🥳
We also tucked into a lovely buffet – thank you to all our amazing volunteers and a big shoutout to Peter for setting up! 🙏💐
It was also lovely to welcome a new member into the group – we can’t wait to see you again!
Yesterday Caerphilly People First members had a lovely walk around Bargoed Woodland Park – the views were beautiful, and there are so many different routes to explore! 🌳🌞 We managed to get in over 6,000 steps – well done everyone! 👏🥇
After our walk, we headed back to the office and celebrated Anthony and Christopher’s birthday with some delicious cake 🎂🎈🎁 Happy birthday to the twins! 🥳👬
Last week we enjoyed a lovely walk around Pen y Fan Pond and spotted lots of fish and wildlife 🦆🦋.
Afterwards, we visited a gorgeous little hidden gem right opposite – Fferm Gelli Camping Site 🏕✨. We got to feed the friendly alpaca 🦙 (Jack) and Gethin made friends with the horses 🐴… well, one loved him so much it gave him a little nibble 😅💛.
This beautiful spot is home to ducks 🦆, chickens 🐓, rabbits 🐇, and many other adorable animals 🐾.
🌟 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 🥒🍅🧅🥬— then made their own wraps with cheese, ham, chicken, or a bit of everything! 😋🌯
👏 A huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers for all your help, to Ffion for the brilliant quiz 🧠🎉, and to Pete the caretaker for setting everything up — you’re a legend! ⭐🛠️ A big welcome to our new member Rachael — it was lovely to have you join us today, and we can’t wait to see you again! 😊💚
🎶 We’ll see everyone on Wednesday for Reconnect Through Music — get ready to sing, dance, and have a great time! 🎤💃🕺
