What a wonderful day we had at our Reconnect Through Cookery session on Friday! 😊💛 Our amazing members got stuck in by peeling the potatoes 🥔, chopping the carrots 🥕 and broccoli 🥦, helping to prepare a delicious sausage dinner 🍽️. We served it with creamy mash, peas and plenty of tasty gravy 😋.
The dinner was absolutely delicious, and it was lovely to sit together, enjoy good food, have lots of chats and take part in a fun quiz 🧠🎉. There were plenty of smiles, laughter and great teamwork throughout the session 😊👏.
A huge THANK YOU ❤️ to all of our wonderful volunteers who give their time, support and kindness each week. These sessions simply wouldn’t be the same without you. Your dedication helps create friendships, build confidence and make our members feel valued and connected 🤗🌈.
✨ What a fantastic afternoon at our Stretch, Connect and Belong yoga session yesterday! ✨🧘♂️ A huge thank you to Lisa for another fun-filled session! 💜 We enjoyed plenty of giggles 😄, gentle stretching 🤸♀️, and used yoga cards to practise different breathing exercises 🌬️ and yoga poses 🧘.
Everyone joined in brilliantly and did an amazing job! 🌟 It was wonderful to see everyone relaxing, connecting, and having fun together. 💕😊 Of course, we finished the session with a lovely cuppa ☕ and a chat 🗣️, which is always a great way to end the afternoon. Well done everyone – we can’t wait to do it all again next week! 🎉💜
Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was an absolute hit! The room was packed with energy, smiles, and incredible talent. 😄🙌 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. 🎶💛
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 🎪✨ Ffion & Amy brought the fun with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 💃🎉 Anthony gave a heartfelt performance of Perfect by Ed Sheeran ❤️🎸 Natalie lit up the room with Murder on the Dancefloor 💃🔊 Ben, our new member, wowed everyone with Cold Heart by Dua Lipa 🎧💙 Theresa got everyone singing along to Wonderwall 🎸🎶 Adrian rocked the classic Return to Sender 📬🎤 Susan charmed the room with Take Me Home, Country Roads 🌄🛣️ Sean brought festive cheer with Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin’ Stevens 🎄🎅🎵
The group enjoyed delicious pizza prepared by Christy and Cheryl — thank you both! 🍕❤️ 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. 💛 Vicky especially loved the dancing and socialising. 💃🕺🎉
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. 🌟💖 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! 🎵😊✨
Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was full of energy, joy, and festive spirit! With 22 fantastic performances, members showcased a brilliant range of songs — from heartfelt ballads to upbeat Christmas classics. The hall looked magical thanks to the Christmas decorations 🎄✨, creating the perfect atmosphere for a fun and welcoming afternoon.
A few highlights from today’s performers:
Matilda sang “Wild Heart” by The Vamps 💙 Mandy gave a powerful performance of “The Power of Love” by Jennifer Rush 🌟 Theresa performed “If I Never See You Again” by Wet Wet Wet 🎶 Anthony sang “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen 👀💗 Ffion performed “Nice To Meet You” by Myles Smith 🎵
Christmas Songs 🎅🎄
Susan sang “Mistletoe and Wine” Ellysia performed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 🎁💖 Sean shared a lovely version of “Away in a Manger” Adrian treated us to “Blue Christmas” 💙🎄
All performers brought enthusiasm, confidence, and festive spirit to the stage. Well done, everyone! 👏✨ In addition everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet of hot dogs prepared by Christy, Cheryl, Zoe, and Helen 🌭😋. A big thank you to the team for their hard work!
We received some wonderful feedback from participants:
Sean said he enjoyed singing, chatting, meeting people, and the food! 🎤🗣️🤝🍽️ Ellie and Becky loved dancing 💃🎶 Anthony shared that he loves everyone who attends! ❤️🥰
Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was joyful, festive, and full of talent; the event was a huge success. Thank you to all performers, volunteers, and supporters who make these sessions so special. It’s clear that these sessions help people feel connected, confident, and part of a supportive community.
It was really nice to see our members and volunteers on Friday, at our first Reconnect through Cookery session since the Christmas break. The session had a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with everyone happy to be back together. Alongside the cooking, members also took part in group activities that encouraged social interaction and fun. A quiz and a game of bingo helped create lots of laughter and conversation, adding to the positive atmosphere of the session. Members loved reconnecting after the Christmas break, working together as a group, learning and practicing cookery skills, and taking part in fun, inclusive social activities.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped in the kitchen and supported members throughout the day, and a massive thank you to Cheryl, Zoe, and Helen for running the session and making sure everything went smoothly. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Natalie for running the quiz, and to Tasha for calling out bingo – your continued support and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.
Our next Reconnect Through Cookery session will take place on Friday 30th January, when we will be cooking cottage pie. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another enjoyable session, and we’ll see you then!
Fleur-de-Lys Community Centre was packed yesterday for our fortnightly Reconnect Through Music session, creating a fantastic atmosphere full of smiles, laughter, and socialising 😄💬 Music once again brought everyone together, and our talented members sang an impressive total of 22 songs during the session 🎤🎶
Theresa kicked things off with a heartfelt performance of “Never Forget” by Take That, and Natalie soon had everyone moving and singing along with “One Love” by Bob Marley 🌍🎶 Ellysia followed with an energetic version of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, while Kelvin treated us to two songs by Cliff Richard 🎸✨ Wayne kept the energy high with “Who’s That Girl” by Madonna, and Paula and Natalie teamed up for two fantastic duets, performing songs by ABBA and The Righteous Brothers 💃🎼 There were many other great performances, making the session varied and enjoyable for everyone involved 🌟
We would like to say a big thank you to Cheryl and Helen for preparing a lovely lunch 🥪💐, and to Pete the caretaker for getting the centre ready for us and making sure everything ran smoothly 🔑👏
The feedback from members was incredibly positive and really shows how much these sessions mean to people. Theresa said she enjoyed making new friends and feels the sessions cannot be improved 😊❤️ Anthony told us that our music sessions are the best in the world! 🌍🌟 Emily shared that she really enjoyed the loud music 🔊🎵 It was another wonderful session filled with music, friendship, and joy 💕🎤
We look forward to welcoming everyone back at our next Reconnect Through Music session on Wednesday 4th February! 📅🎶
We were recently honoured to attend the Annual Caerphilly Parent Network Volunteer Awards Event, and what an inspiring occasion it was 👏💙 It was truly uplifting to hear about the incredible range of voluntary work being carried out by the Caerphilly Parent Network across the borough. The event celebrated the dedication, kindness, and commitment of individuals who selflessly give up their time to support others in their communities 🌈🤝
Several awards were presented throughout the event, including: 🏆 Inspirational Volunteer 🏆 Personal Journey Award 🏆 Most Enthusiastic Award 🏆 Humble Hero Award
The final award of the day was the Sian Northey Award, which holds a very special meaning 💐 This award is named in honour of Sian Northey, a wonderful and much-loved volunteer who contributed so much to the Parent Network before she sadly passed away a few years ago. Each year, the award is presented by Sian’s son, Gethin Chamberlain, a valued member of Caerphilly People First, making the moment especially moving and meaningful ❤️
We would like to say a huge thank you to the Caerphilly Parent Network for inviting us to be part of such a positive and heartfelt event 🙌 And of course, thank you as well for the lovely buffet – it was very much appreciated! 🥪🍰 Overall, the event was a wonderful celebration of community spirit, generosity, and the power of volunteering 💫
What a lovely Reconnect through Cookery session we enjoyed on Friday 💚👩🍳👨🍳 A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers and everyone who helped with the quiz and bingo 🎉🧠🎱 — you always help make the sessions so much fun. Special thanks to Peter our caretaker for getting everything set up for us 🙌👏 Our members did a fantastic job preparing fresh cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower 🥦🥬 to go alongside a delicious cottage pie and gravy, made with 5% fat lean beef mince 🍽️😋As always, we had great feedback and we’re proud to say there was no waste at all ♻️ Everyone absolutely loves our cookery sessions and the difference they make to our community — bringing people together, building skills, and sharing good food and laughter 💬❤️ See you all Wednesday for Reconnect through Music 🎶🎤
This morning Ffion and Amy visited The Lewis School. Year 7 students are currently taking part in the First Give programme as part of their English lessons, and they’ve chosen to support Caerphilly People First. Through the First Give programme, the students will be carrying out social actions to support us and our work in the community 💪💬
We delivered a presentation about what we do at Caerphilly People First, what a First Give grant is, and how we would use £1,000 to make a real difference 🌱🍳🎶 A First Give grant is funding that students can win by planning and delivering social action projects that support a local charity or community group, helping them create positive change. The students asked lots of fantastic questions and showed a genuine interest in our work – it was brilliant to see such enthusiasm and compassion 💙
We’re really looking forward to attending the finals on Friday 🤞⭐ Good luck to all the students – you’re doing amazing things for your community!
We had another fantastic Reconnect Through Music session this morning! The room was full of energy, laughter, and brilliant performances as we sang an amazing 28 songs together. 🎵💃 Our members brought us a wonderful mix of classics and hidden gems, covering music from the 1950s right through to the 2020s – what a journey through the decades, and what a joy to see everyone dancing, smiling, and socialising 🕺📻🎶 It was also lovely to welcome two new members, Cheryl and Claire, to their very first session with us. We hope you both enjoyed it and felt the warm Reconnect Through Music spirit! We were treated to so many brilliant performances, including:
Hywel and Kelvin – bringing us some fantastic Cliff Richard favourites 🎸 Rebecca – with a toe-tapping rendition of 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton 🤠 Adrian and Andrew – rocking the room with a couple of Elvis classics 🕺✨ Sean – getting us Eurovision-ready with Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz 🎉 Christine – bringing the party vibes with We Like to Party by Vengaboys 🚌🎶 Ffion and Amy – delivering two powerful Tina Turner classics 🔥🎤 Anthony – leading us in a triumphant We Are the Champions by Queen 👑🙌
And of course, there were many more brilliant performances that kept the atmosphere buzzing all morning! 🌈🎼A big thank you to Christy and Cheryl for preparing our delicious lunch of ham and cheese rolls and crisps – it was very much appreciated after all that singing! 😋👏Thank you to everyone who took part and made today’s session so special. We can’t wait to do it all again in two weeks! 🎶💙
