Reconnect Through Music

What a brilliant session today! ๐ŸŒŸ With over 20 magical performances, the room was full of smiles, laughter, and people enjoying each otherโ€™s company ๐Ÿค—๐Ÿ’ฌ. It was fantastic to see everyone socialising and connecting through music ๐ŸŽคโค๏ธ.

We were treated to many wonderful performances throughout the day. Sean gave us the full 8-minute version of American Pie ๐ŸŽธ, while Ellysia and Chris delighted everyone with two beautiful duet performances ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ‘ซ. Matilda brought great energy with โ€œSummer Nightsโ€ from Grease ๐ŸŒž๐ŸŽญ, Claire delivered a powerful rendition of โ€œPurple Rainโ€ ๐Ÿ’œโ˜”, and Anthony performed โ€œWonderful Tonightโ€ ๐ŸŽผโœจ.

A huge thank you goes to Christy, Cheryl, Helen, and Zoe for preparing our delicious hot dog lunch ๐ŸŒญ and doing all the paperwork โ€“ your hard work helped the day run so smoothly, and is much appreciated ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ’›.

Days like today show the power of music in bringing people together, and the feedback we received really captured the spirit of the session. Mark shared that he enjoys making new friends ๐Ÿ˜Š, Anthony described it as an amazing day ๐ŸŒŸ, and Matilda said itโ€™s a happy atmosphere where everyone is made to feel welcome ๐Ÿ’–.

๐ŸŒฑโœจ A lovely day at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens! โœจ๐ŸŒฑ

Yesterday our members enjoyed another fantastic session at the gardens ๐ŸŒผ The sunshine was out and so were the smiles! โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜Š Gethin and Morgan got stuck inโ€”working hard, getting their hands in the soil, digging and turning over the plot ๐Ÿชด๐Ÿงค It was a great way to boost wellbeing and connect with nature ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ’š

Gardening is not just about growing plantsโ€”itโ€™s about growing confidence, friendships, and happiness ๐ŸŒป๐Ÿค It was also lovely catching up, having a laugh, and seeing everyone enjoy their time outdoors ๐ŸŒž A big thank you to everyone involved for making it such a positive and uplifting session ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ’š Weโ€™re already looking forward to the next visit! ๐ŸŒฟโœจ

โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒฑ Another Fantastic Morning at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens

Everyone enjoyed the beautiful sunshine yesterday, got stuck in, and worked hard as usual ๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸŒผ Thereโ€™s something special about being outdoors โ€” fresh air, teamwork, and getting hands in the soil does wonders for wellbeing ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ˜Š A big thank you to all involved for your energy and effort. Another great morning in the garden! ๐ŸŒป๐Ÿƒโ˜€๏ธ

๐ŸŽถ Reconnect Through Music ๐ŸŽค๐Ÿ•

What a fantastic day we had at todayโ€™s Reconnect Through Music session! Over 40 people joined us to enjoy great singing, friendship, and a delicious pizza lunch. ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿ•บ๐Ÿ• The room was filled with music and smiles from start to finish.

โœจ Ellysia set the festive mood by singing the first Christmas songs of the year โ€“ it might be early, but we all loved it! ๐ŸŽ„
๐Ÿ’‹ Natalie rocked the room with her version of Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las.
๐Ÿ‘‘ Elizabeth got everyone singing along and swaying to Dancing Queen by ABBA.
๐ŸŽญ Matilda brought Broadway energy with a song from Hairspray the Musical.
๐Ÿ’ž Anthony melted hearts with a beautiful rendition of Perfect by Ed Sheeran.
๐Ÿš— Sean made us all smile with Driving in My Car by Madness.
๐ŸŽค Finally, Ffion and Amy closed the performances perfectly with Stuck on You by Lionel Richie โ€“ a lovely duet to end on!

While we enjoyed the performances, we tucked into a tasty pizza lunch, prepared by Christy and Helen โ€“ thank you both for the delicious food! ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘ A huge shoutout also goes to Pete the caretaker for setting everything up so smoothly ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ, and to Sharon for keeping track of the paperwork ๐Ÿ“‹.

The feedback from todayโ€™s session was full of warmth and positivity:

๐Ÿ’– โ€œIt was fun!โ€
๐Ÿ˜Š โ€œI love seeing my friends.โ€
๐Ÿค โ€œI like meeting new people.โ€
๐ŸŒˆ โ€œEveryone is friendly.โ€
โญ โ€œAll staff are amazing.โ€
โ€œI liked dancing in my chair.โ€
๐Ÿ’ช โ€œIt builds my confidence.โ€
๐Ÿ  โ€œI always love it here.โ€

Todayโ€™s session was filled with laughter, great music, and friendship. ๐ŸŽถ Thank you to everyone who joined in and helped make it such a happy, confidence-building day. We canโ€™t wait to see you all again next time! ๐Ÿ’•๐ŸŽค๐Ÿ•

Reconnect Through Cookery

On Friday our members made a classic sausage & mash with fresh vegetables and onion gravy. Everyone worked together to prepare cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots โ€” it smelled amazing!

A big thank you to Theresa and Judith for running the quiz and to Sian for hosting bingo – you all made the session full of fun, laughter, and teamwork. The dinner was delicious, and all the feedback from our members was positive โ€” everyone LOVES our Friday Cookery sessions!

Reconnect Through Music

Todayโ€™s Reconnect Through Music group was full of energy, laughter, and incredible talent. In total, our members performed an amazing 28 songs ๐ŸŽคโœจ, and each performance brought its own magic to the room. ๐ŸŒŸ

Matilda shone with her powerful rendition of Believe by Cher ๐ŸŒˆ, while Ffion and Amy teamed up for a lively performance of Rehab by Amy Winehouse ๐Ÿท. Sean had everyone smiling and moving along to My Boy Lollipop by Bad Manners ๐Ÿญ, and Ellysia wowed us with her version of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley ๐Ÿคฏ. Natalie brought a touch of pop sunshine with Flowers by Miley Cyrus ๐ŸŒธ, and Jackie gave a heartfelt performance of Back for Good by Take That ๐ŸŽถ.

As the performances flowed, everyone gathered together to enjoy a delicious hot dog lunch ๐ŸŒญ lovingly prepared by Christy, Cheryl, and Helen ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ. This provided a lovely opportunity to relax and chat with friends. Weโ€™re grateful to Sharon and Libby ๐Ÿ“ for helping with the paperwork, and to Pete the caretaker ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ who made sure everything was set up and ready before we even arrived.

The feedback we received today really shows how much the group means to people. One member shared, โ€œI made more friendsโ€ ๐Ÿค, while another said, โ€œI love singing and seeing friendsโ€ ๐ŸŽต. We also heard, โ€œI wish it was every weekโ€ ๐Ÿ“…, and perhaps the best compliment of all: โ€œYou canโ€™t improve this session โ€“ I love itโ€ ๐Ÿ’–.

Overall, today was a truly joyful session filled with music, friendship, and community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making it such a success! ๐ŸŽ‰

Reconnect through Cookery โœจ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿณ

On Friday our members prepared lots of fresh vegetables ๐Ÿฅฆ๐Ÿฅ•๐ŸŒฝ๐Ÿฅฌ โ€“ we had cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, peas, and carrots to go with our delicious cottage pie ๐Ÿฅง.
We made it using 5% lean mince ๐Ÿฅฉ and topped some with cheese ๐Ÿง€ (and left some plain for those who prefer it that way!). Best of all โ€“ zero waste ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ‘.
Everyone enjoyed the meal โค๏ธ and feedback is always fantastic! Huge thanks to everyone who helped out in the kitchen ๐Ÿ‘, to Nat for sorting bingo & the quiz ๐ŸŽถ๐ŸŽฒ, and to Peter the caretaker for setting up the hall ๐Ÿ™.

๐Ÿ’š Why Healthy Eating Matters ๐Ÿ’š
Eating fresh vegetables and balanced meals helps boost energy โšก, improves mood ๐Ÿ˜Š, supports overall health ๐Ÿฉบ, and gives our members the confidence to try new foods ๐Ÿด.
These sessions make a huge difference by:
โœจ Reducing isolation & loneliness ๐Ÿค
โœจ Building independence and life skills ๐Ÿฅ„
โœจ Encouraging teamwork & confidence ๐Ÿ’ช
โœจ Bringing joy and friendship to our members ๐Ÿ’›
๐Ÿ“Œ Our next Cookery session: sausage dinner with vegetables and onion gravy ๐ŸŒญ๐Ÿฅ”๐Ÿง….
๐ŸŽต On Wednesday weโ€™ll be back together for Reconnect through Music ๐ŸŽค๐ŸŽถ.
Thank you all for another lovely day ๐Ÿ’›

Reconnect Through Cookery

On Friday, our members came together to make a delicious pasta bake.

๐Ÿง… They carefully prepared the onions
๐Ÿฅ— Added a fresh salad on the side
๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿณ And everyone worked together to create a meal full of flavour and teamwork!

After the cooking, members enjoyed a fun quiz ๐Ÿ† which brought lots of laughter and learning.

๐Ÿ’– Thanks to Our volunteers – we couldnโ€™t do it without you! Your support makes these sessions smooth and enjoyable. ๐Ÿ™Œ

๐Ÿ“ข Our next cookery session will be held on ๐Ÿ“… Friday, 26th September, so bring your energy, smiles, and enthusiasm! โœจ We look forward to seeing you all then!

Reconnect Through Music ๐ŸŽถ

What an amazing session yesterday โ€“ we had over 25 songs sung by our talented members! ๐ŸŽค๐Ÿ’ซ

๐ŸŒŸ Ellysia wowed us with “The Final Countdown” by Europe
๐ŸŒŸ Ffion and Amy gave us a blast from the past with “Flying the Flag” by Scooch
๐ŸŒŸ Natalie sang beautifully with “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
๐ŸŒŸ Adrian sang “Love Me Tender” by Elvis
๐ŸŒŸ Sean took us back to the 1950s with “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley
๐ŸŒŸ 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 โ€“ thank you to all our amazing volunteers! We canโ€™t wait to see you all again in two weeks’ time (17th September)! ๐Ÿ˜Š

Viva Fest 2025

Viva Fest 2025 didnโ€™t disappoint! ๐ŸŽ‰ We had an amazing day at the ICC Wales ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿฅ trying out African drumming, getting creative with crafts ๐ŸŽจ, having a go at archery ๐ŸŽฏ, chatting to all the stall holders ๐Ÿ—ฃ, and enjoying some fantastic singing and live music ๐ŸŽค๐ŸŽต.
๐Ÿคฉ The stilt walkers were incredible ๐Ÿคนโ€โ™‚๏ธ, and the giant bubbles were magical. It was so lovely to see all our wonderful People First friends ๐Ÿ’›. Massive well done to the organisers ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘.

๐Ÿ Gethin loved sitting on the Blood Bank motorbike ๐Ÿ, Rees enjoyed trying out the police gear ๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ, Judith had a go on the bike ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™€๏ธ, Theresa loved collecting all the free pens โœ’๏ธ, and Libby had fun with the crafts โœ‚๏ธ.We even treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream! Canโ€™t wait for the next one! ๐ŸŽ‰โœจ