Tag Archives: All Wales People First

🌍✨ AdFest 2026 – Living My Best Life Around the World ✨🌍

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What an amazing two days our members from Caerphilly People First had at AdFest 2026 in Cardiff! 💙 The conference brought together self-advocates, organisations, and friends from across Wales, the UK, and around the world to celebrate the importance of self-advocacy and how it helps people live their best lives.
🎶 On the first day, we enjoyed a fun and uplifting singing session with the lovely Maddie from RecRock. There was plenty of laughter, singing, and joining in. We also took part in a fantastic samba workshop where everyone had the chance to try different drums and instruments. 🥁🎵
🌍 Throughout the conference, we watched inspiring clips from self-advocacy groups around the world, showing the incredible work people are doing to make sure the voices of people with learning disabilities are heard. 🗳️ We attended the AGM and had the opportunity to vote on important proposals that will help shape the future of the movement.
💐 We would also like to thank and congratulate Ruth Northway, who has retired from the board after nine years of dedication and commitment. Thank you, Ruth, for everything you have done to support self-advocacy. 💙
📸 We enjoyed viewing the beautiful photographs from the Through Your Eyes project and celebrating achievements at the Mirror Awards. A huge congratulations to all the winners! 🏆
🍽️ The evening was filled with friendship, good food, lots of chatting, and a brilliant silent disco where everyone had a chance to let their hair down and have fun. 🎧💃🕺
🤝 There were lots of exhibitors sharing information and advice, including Cardiff People First, the Welsh Ambulance Service, Mencap Cymru, Llais, Learning Disability Wales, Learning Disability Nurses, and many more.
🎓 On day two, we attended the Confident Travels workshop and Game of Rights, where we learned more about human rights and how to speak up for ourselves. Both sessions were fun, interactive, and gave us lots to think about.
☀️ Despite the very hot weather, we were lucky to have no travel problems and were able to enjoy every moment of the conference. 💙 Most importantly, AdFest gave people the chance to learn, share experiences, build confidence, make new friends, and celebrate everything that self-advocacy can achieve. 👏 A huge thank you to All Wales People First for organising such a fantastic event. It was wonderful to meet people from Ghana, Ireland, Bournemouth, and many other places. We came home feeling inspired, connected, and proud to be part of such a strong self-advocacy movement. 🌟 We can’t wait for next year!

National Council Meeting

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Ffion Poole recently attended the online All Wales People First National Council meeting. The meeting began with a welcome, and everyone introduced themselves. The group talked about the ground rules for the meeting. These rules help everyone feel safe, respected, and able to speak and be listened to. The group then looked at the minutes from the last meeting. People were able to check for mistakes, ask questions, and hear updates on actions agreed at the last meeting.

Joe Powell, the Chief Executive, gave an update to the group. He talked about the work of All Wales People First and shared information about the workplan for 2026. Representatives then shared issues from their local groups. These were issues that may need action across Wales.

Chloe Cannon spoke to the group next. She is an All Wales People First Representative on the Lived Experience Collective Board. Chloe explained the work of the CARE Research Centre for Adult Social Care and the work they do at Cardiff University. She also asked people to share their experiences of older people with learning disabilities.

All Wales People First has decided that a Member Code of Conduct may be needed. A Code of Conduct is a set of rules about how people should behave at events. The group talked about whether a Code of Conduct is needed and what rules should be included.

The group also talked about future National Council meetings. This included where meetings should be held, how people get information, and future meeting dates. Other updates were shared, including progress with Adfest planning, feedback from the Disabled People’s Rights Plan consultation, and feedback from the Direct Payments consultation.

A Visit From Gerraint from All Wales People First

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Yesterday we had a visit from Gerraint from All Wales People First 😊 He delivered a SATV Roadshow session to our members. We talked about the Manifesto 🗣️

👉 What is a manifesto?
A manifesto is a document that says:

  • What we believe in
  • What is important to us
  • What changes we want
    It helps people with a learning disability speak up and be heard 👂

We also talked about Adfest 2026 🎉

Adfest will be in Cardiff
📍 At the Future Inn Cardiff
Bookings are now open! 📝
You can get the booking forms from:

  • The All Wales People First Facebook page
  • The All Wales People First website

Thank you Gerraint for a great session! We enjoyed it 😊

No Cash, No Rights Protest

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Yesterday we joined together outside the senedd alongside Torfaen People First ,Cwm Taff people first, All Wales People First, and other People First groups and Mencap for a peaceful protest about something that really matters ❤️

No cash = no rights.

For many adults with learning disabilities, cash isn’t just money — it’s independence, choice, and control. Not everyone has a bank card. Not everyone can use a cash machine. Some people in supported living are given a cash allowance to manage their daily lives. Taking cash away takes away freedom. We need a society where people can choose cash and card — not one or the other. Because real inclusion means making sure everyone can take part.

We made our voices heard loud and proud 🎶
We sang a brilliant song written by Cwm Taff members and chanted: “Keep cash, keep choice, listen to every voice!”

This is so important. A cashless society risks leaving people behind — and that’s not okay. Everyone deserves to feel confident, included, and in control of their own money. After the protest, we had a lovely walk around the bay and enjoyed some ice cream 🍦 …but unfortunately, they didn’t take cash — which just shows exactly why this campaign matters. Thank you Cwm Taff People First for inviting us to join you at this important protest 🪧🗣💸

Let’s keep raising awareness.
Let’s keep pushing for change.
Let’s keep cash, keep choice, and listen to every voice 💬✨

Two Great Days at National Council

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Amy and Christy from Caerphilly People First attended the **All Wales People First National Council meeting on 10th and 11th March at Galeri Caernarfon.🚆 We travelled by train from Cardiff with other staff and members from All Wales People First, and the journey was smooth.

🗓️ Day 1

We started by going through the minutes from the last meeting.
We checked the actions that had been completed and asked questions if anything was unclear.
👨‍💼 Joe Powell, Chief Executive of All Wales People First, gave us an update about the important work they are doing across Wales.
🗣️ Speaking up for Caerphilly
Amy spoke on behalf of our members.
She shared concerns about:
💻 GP appointments moving online
📱 The new e-consultation system for booking appointments.
Amy explained that some people with learning disabilities may find online systems difficult to use.
👏 We are very proud of Amy for speaking up and sharing our members’ views.
💬 National Council Review
All the representatives had a chance to talk about:
✅ What is working well
⚠️ What could be improved
There were really good discussions and lots of positive ideas shared.

🗓️ Day 2

We were joined on Zoom by the Senedd Engagement Team who gave a presentation about voting.
🗳️ Voting is important because:

  • Your voice matters
  • You can help choose who makes decisions
  • It helps create change in your community
    📅 Remember: Elections are in May.
    🏡 Homes Not Hospitals
    Joe also shared an update about the Homes Not Hospitals campaign.
    This campaign is about making sure people with learning disabilities can live in their homes and communities with the right support, instead of staying in hospital for long periods.
    Everyone agreed this is really important work.
    📱 Sharing Social Media Ideas
    We also had some group discussions and shared ideas for good social media posts.

It was great to see everyone:
😊 Taking part
💡 Sharing ideas
🗣️ Talking about their lived experiences
🚶‍♀️ A Lovely Walk Around Caernarfon

We also enjoyed a lovely morning walk around Caernarfon. It is a beautiful place with lots of history. We saw the famous Caernarfon Castle, a huge medieval castle built over 700 years ago by King Edward I. The castle is a very important part of Welsh history and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🏰 It was great to see such an amazing place while we were there.

It was also really nice to Catch up with other People First members, and spend time with the All Wales People First team. Thank you to everyone for a friendly, positive and productive National Council meeting!

National Council Meeting

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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!

Meeting about Benefits Reform

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Yesterday afternoon, Ffion, Nat, Gethin, and Amy joined an online meeting with other People First groups across Wales. The meeting was run by All Wales People First and was about Benefits Reform.

We talked about:
Changes to benefits money from the government
The Access to Work scheme that helps disabled people in jobs
Getting good jobs and being treated fairly
Health and safety at work

What is Access to Work? Access to Work helps pay for things like:
Travel to work
Job coaches or support workers
Special equipment or changes at work

We also talked about:
Making benefits easier and fairer
Getting faster help from Access to Work
Helping people move from volunteering to paid jobs

And organisations like the Equality and Human Rights Commission which:
Makes sure disabled people are treated fairly
Protects people’s rights
Helps stop discrimination

The government should:
Give money to these organisations
Listen to disabled people’s voices
Follow equality laws

We also spoke about Health and Safety at work:
Some people need changes to help them stay safe
Staff should get health and safety training
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) checks if workplaces are safe

Next steps:
Kelly will fill out the consultation form from All Wales People First. This means our group’s voice will be heard and shared!

All Wales People First National Council Meeting Report

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Yesterday, Amy Jones attended the All Wales People First National Council meeting via Zoom. The meeting started with introductions and a check of the last meeting’s minutes to spot any mistakes and hear updates.

Updates:
Joe shared what he’s been working on.
Reps talked about the Mirror Principles to see if they need changing and how to check if self-advocacy groups are following them.

After Lunch:
We talked about important issues like transport and benefit cuts. Lynne Griffiths, who knows a lot about learning disabilities, was chosen for the board.

Adfest Update:
Day One: Joe’s introductions, four workshops, talent show for members, stalls, Mirror Awards, photo booth, and disco in the evening.
Day Two: AGM, four more workshops to choose from, another talent show (with voting for winners), and more stalls.

Geraint’s Request:
Make a video answering questions like, “How do you want to be seen, heard, and valued?”
These videos will be shared on social media. Other Zoom participants can also make videos and send them to Tracy.

Day Two of the National Council

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Amy started the morning with a fascinating tour of the Senedd, which she really enjoyed. Next, we had an update from Geraint and the research staff from Cardiff University about a project that will employ adults with learning disabilities to become researchers. We also discussed how we would like to be consulted, with most people preferring face-to-face meetings but also open to using Teams or Zoom.

In the afternoon, we focused on communication with members. We explored ways to improve All Wales People First’s social media and make Talk Back more cost-effective, as printing and posting it is expensive. We also talked about campaigning against the proposed benefit cuts, how they would affect everyone, and what we want to include in our position statement. Members discussed writing to local MPs to voice their concerns.

It’s been an amazing two days – great discussions and lovely to see members from other People First groups! The hotel and food were fantastic, and a big thank you to Jess for organising train tickets and transfers. Also, a huge thanks to all the staff for making the meeting engaging and easy to understand.

All Wales People First National Council

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Exciting News! This week Amy Jones is attending the All Wales People First National Council for the first time as a new representative. As a rep, Amy will share important issues from our group that might impact people across Wales and could need national action. This is a fantastic opportunity to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear. Wishing Amy the best of luck in her new role!

Yesterday, Amy and Christy had a great first day at the National Council Meeting. Chief Executive Joe Powell gave a talk about what National Council reps do and the jobs of the Chair and Vice Chair. After lunch, we had elections, when the following people were elected:

Lucy – New Chair
Kurtis – New Vice Chair
Neil – New board member

We also looked at the last meeting notes and talked about important actions. Amy spoke for Caerphilly People First and said our members want:

Better healthcare
Mental health support that is easy to understand
More information about health checks

A great first day—looking forward to more!