✨ Reconnect Through Cookery

On Friday our members cooked up a delicious cottage pie πŸ˜‹πŸ₯” and prepared fresh leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower πŸ₯¦πŸ₯¬πŸŒΏ. Everyone worked together brilliantly and the kitchen smelled amazing!

A HUGE thank you to all our lovely volunteers for helping in the kitchen ❀️, and to our fantastic support staff for running the quiz and bingo πŸŽ‰πŸ§©. And a special shout-out to Peter for setting everything up β€” we appreciate you! πŸ™Œ It was definitely a session to remember πŸ’›

See you all tomorrow for Reconnect Through Music 🎢 and Friday for our Silent Disco Christmas Party πŸŽ§πŸŽ„

πŸŽ„βœ¨ Christmas Craft Session βœ¨πŸŽ„

Yesterday our members enjoyed another brilliant Christmas craft session with Louise and the team from Multiply! πŸŽ…πŸ§Ά They made the cutest Christmas gonks out of wool, and everyone did an amazing job. ❀️

We all enjoyed a lovely cuppa β˜• and some tasty pastries πŸ₯ while chatting and socialising together. It was a warm, festive morning filled with fun and creativity! β­πŸ’¬ Don’t forget β€” our last craft session is next Tuesday! 🎁✨

Reconnect Through Music

Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was an absolute hit! The room was packed with energy, smiles, and incredible talent. πŸ˜„πŸ™Œ The atmosphere was buzzing from start to finish, with everyone joining in, singing along, and enjoying the chance to reconnect through the power of music. πŸŽΆπŸ’›

A total of 27 songs were performed today! 🌟 Here are some of the great performances we enjoyed:

Matilda delivered a stunning version of Never Enough from The Greatest Showman πŸŽͺ✨
Ffion & Amy brought the fun with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun πŸ’ƒπŸŽ‰
Anthony gave a heartfelt performance of Perfect by Ed Sheeran ❀️🎸
Natalie lit up the room with Murder on the Dancefloor πŸ’ƒπŸ”Š
Ben, our new member, wowed everyone with Cold Heart by Dua Lipa πŸŽ§πŸ’™
Theresa got everyone singing along to Wonderwall 🎸🎢
Adrian rocked the classic Return to Sender πŸ“¬πŸŽ€
Susan charmed the room with Take Me Home, Country Roads πŸŒ„πŸ›£οΈ
Sean brought festive cheer with Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ΅

The group enjoyed delicious pizza prepared by Christy and Cheryl β€” thank you both! πŸ•β€οΈ It added to the warm and friendly atmosphere that everyone felt.

Feedback was glowing! ✨

Helen said it was a happy atmosphere and that everyone interacted so well. 😊🀝
Moira shared that she really enjoyed everything. πŸ’›
Vicky especially loved the dancing and socialising. πŸ’ƒπŸ•ΊπŸŽ‰

It’s clear that today’s session brought people together in the best possible way. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made today so special. Your energy, positivity, and talent created a wonderful day for all. πŸŒŸπŸ’– Also a big thanks to the Moondance Foundation for funding these sessions – they make a huge difference to our members. Here’s to many more sessions filled with music, laughter, and connection! 🎡😊✨

πŸŽ„βœ¨ Craft Morning with Deb and Louise! βœ¨πŸŽ„

Yesterday our members enjoyed another fantastic craft session with Deb and Louise from Multiply. They had a brilliant time designing their own Christmas trees and making festive decorations. πŸŽ¨πŸŽ…βœ¨ Everyone got creative, learned something new, and made beautiful pieces to take home. We love seeing the confidence and smiles these sessions bring! πŸ’šπŸ˜Š Great work everyone β€” your Christmas crafts looked amazing! 🎁🌟

Reconnect Through Cookery

🌟 A massive thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who covered Friday’s Reconnect Through Cookery session! 🌟 The food looked absolutely amazing πŸ˜‹

Our members prepared peppers, onions, and mushrooms to add to a tasty Mayflower chicken curry πŸ› served with fluffy rice 🍚. We also enjoyed a fun game of bingo πŸŽ‰ and a quiz ❓—the room was full of happiness, laughter, and very full tummies! πŸ˜„πŸ’›

Also, during the session Paula received her certificate and delicious dairy- and gluten-free cake from the learning disability liaison nurses as a thank you for taking part in the annual health check video.

These sessions make such a huge difference to our members, especially on dark winter days β„οΈβœ¨. They bring warmth, connection, and a reason to smile. Thank you everyone for making today so special! πŸ’› We’ll see you all on Wednesday for music πŸŽΆπŸ’ƒπŸ•Ί

TRAC members at the University of South Wales

Friday’s session was all about midwifery πŸ‘©β€βš•οΈπŸ’› Ffion played the role of someone who was 9 weeks pregnant and did a fantastic job in her role. Christy played her mam, and the student nurses interacted brilliantly β€” speaking directly to Ffion, explaining everything clearly, and taking their time.

We also had a Learning Disability Nurse on hand πŸ‘©β€βš•οΈπŸ’™ who clarified things with Ffion and offered easy-read information, making sure she understood everything in a way that suited her needs. LD nurses are so important, especially when someone with a learning disability is pregnant. All fields of nursing should practice the same approach β€” clear communication, patience, and respect. It makes a huge difference. ❀️

Meanwhile, Gethin and Nat had just come home from the hospital with their new baby πŸ‘ΆπŸΌ And yes… believe it or not… they didn’t bicker for a change! 🀣 They were absolutely hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

A huge well done to everyone β€” our TRAC members and the students. ⭐ We’re already looking forward to the next session and working with you all again soon! πŸ™ŒπŸ’›

Annual Health Check Video Launch

✨ This morning we were joined by Clair, Leah and John from the Primary Care Learning Disability Health Team for the official launch of the Annual Health Check video we’ve been working on together! πŸŽ₯πŸ’™

We talked about what an Annual Health Check is β€” a free check-up offered every year to people with a learning disability to help them stay healthy, spot any concerns early, and make sure they get the right support from their GP πŸ‘πŸ©Ί

The new video will now be used to train doctors, helping them understand how to make health checks easier, clearer and more accessible for everyone πŸ‘

A huge thank you to the team for the delicious pastries and juice πŸ₯πŸ§ƒ Everyone who took part received a voucher and certificate for the fantastic job they did featuring in the promotional video πŸŽ‰πŸŽ–οΈ We’re proud of everyone involved and we’re already looking forward to working together again in the future 🀝✨

✨ Breakfast & Craft Yesterday ✨

We had such a lovely morning together! πŸ₯° Everyone enjoyed a warm breakfast πŸ₯β˜• and then got stuck into some gorgeous Christmas crafts πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ There was plenty of chatting, laughing, and learning something new πŸ’¬βœ¨ The crafts looked amazing and the room was full of festive cheer! Groups like this make such a difference ❀️ They help people:

⭐ Feel less isolated
⭐ Build friendships
⭐ Learn new skills
⭐ Boost confidence
⭐ Have fun together

Thank you to everyone who joined us β€” you made the morning special πŸ€— Can’t wait for the next one! πŸŽ¨πŸ’–

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW in the Simulation Suite! ✨

Yesterday we visited the University of South Wales for another brilliant session with the TRAC team.

🎭 Hannah took on the role of Geraldine, who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and Williams syndrome.
🧑 Christy played the role of Geraldine’s support staff.
πŸ’₯ Nat played a patient who had a fit and knocked herself out, bruising and cutting her head.

The students were amazing! πŸ‘ They asked thoughtful questions about the best ways to communicate with someone who is non-verbal and explored what medical checks and support Geraldine would need for her constipation. They also worked brilliantly as a team supporting Nat’s scenario. The feedback was fantastic β€” it’s wonderful that TRAC students get the chance to teach, share real-life experiences, and help future nurses learn in such a meaningful way. 🌟 Well done everyone! 🌟

Reconnect Through Music

Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was another brilliant get-together! 🌟 The room was filled with singing and friendship as our talented members performed an amazing 25 songs. Everyone showed confidence, enthusiasm, and joy β€” it was a day to remember. πŸŽΆπŸ’« Every performer gave it their all, and the support from the audience made it even more special. πŸ‘πŸŽ€βœ¨

Our members gave some incredible performances that had everyone smiling and clapping along:

πŸŽ™οΈ Natalie sang Why by Annie Lennox β€” such emotion and power!
🌈 Matilda brought energy and confidence with Naughty from Matilda the Musical.
❀️ Mandy gave a beautiful version of If You Don’t Know Me by Now by Simply Red.
πŸ’° Adrian had us all moving with Money, Money, Money by ABBA.
πŸ”₯ Theresa performed Eternal Flame by The Bangles.
πŸ’ž Anthony sang What About Us by Champaign and wowed everyone.
β˜€οΈ Ellysia lifted the room with Mr. Blue Sky by ELO.

A big thank you to Christy, Cheryl, and Helen for preparing the delicious sandwiches and sausage rolls. πŸ₯ͺ🌭 We received some lovely feedback from those who attended:

🎧 Jason said he loved the music and singing.
πŸ’¬ Vicky shared that she enjoyed mixing with people.
🀝 Rebecca said she loved meeting up with everyone again.
πŸ—£οΈ Rachel enjoyed talking with new friends.
🌟 Anthony said it was an excellent day.
πŸ’ͺ Judith said the session helped build her confidence.

It was wonderful to see how much these sessions mean to everyone β€” not just for the music, but for the chance to connect, make friends, and feel part of something special. πŸ’žπŸŽΆToday reminded us why these sessions matter so much β€” music brings people together, builds confidence, and fills the room with joy. πŸ’– A huge well done to everyone who took part, helped out, and made the day unforgettable. πŸ₯°