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!
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)! 😊
Viva Fest 2025 didn’t disappoint! 🎉 We had an amazing day at the ICC Wales 🎶🥁 trying out African drumming, getting creative with crafts 🎨, having a go at archery 🎯, chatting to all the stall holders 🗣, and enjoying some fantastic singing and live music 🎤🎵. 🤩 The stilt walkers were incredible 🤹♂️, and the giant bubbles were magical. It was so lovely to see all our wonderful People First friends 💛. Massive well done to the organisers 👏👏.
🏍 Gethin loved sitting on the Blood Bank motorbike 🏍, Rees enjoyed trying out the police gear 👮♂️, Judith had a go on the bike 🚴♀️, Theresa loved collecting all the free pens ✒️, and Libby had fun with the crafts ✂️.We even treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream! Can’t wait for the next one! 🎉✨
Wow, what an amazing session! We had over 25 songs, featuring classics from The Fugees, Phil Collins, George Ezra, Robbie Williams, and Ed Sheeran. Our members absolutely loved it! There was plenty of singing, dancing, and a delicious buffet lunch. It was wonderful seeing everyone have so much fun, and we even saw some new singers take the mic!
We also took some great photos to promote World Mental Health Day. Seeing everyone smile and connect through music was truly heartwarming. A massive THANK YOU to all our amazing volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you! See you all in two weeks!
On Friday we whipped up a delicious cottage pie using lean mince, buttery mash, fresh vegetables, and rich gravy! Our amazing members prepared cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms to add to the mince, making it a hearty and wholesome meal.
A big shoutout to Sarah for keeping everything running smoothly on the floor, and Nat for helping with the tables. And a huge THANK YOU to Rees, Connor, Nat, and Delyth for helping out in the kitchen. Cheryl did a fab job dishing up a delicious lunch, and we couldn’t have done it without Peter, our awesome caretaker, who’s always lending a hand.
Our members had a blast cooking, eating together, and catching up. They love these sessions for making friends, sharing meals, and having a good laugh. The quiz was a big hit too! We’ll see you all in two weeks for another delicious session where we’ll be making lasagne and serving it up with a fresh salad!
We had another brilliant Reconnect through Music session in Fleur-de-Lys today, with our extra-talented members belting out 27 different songs! The singing, dancing, and smiles were a joy to see. Once again, we welcomed a few new faces, and everyone enjoyed a tasty buffet prepared by Cheryl and Zoe.
Thanks to everyone who came (and helped to tidy up afterwards), and a special thank you to Ffion for doing the register and collecting the contributions for teas and coffees. We can’t wait to see you all in a fortnight’s time, same time, same place, when once again our members will blow the roof off the place!
Massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped our Reconnect through Cookery session go ahead on Friday while some of us were busy filming! We made it back just in time to enjoy the delicious food.
Our amazing members prepared a healthy salad to go with a yummy sausage pasta bake, topped with cheddar cheese . We also had a fun quiz & bingo session! We welcomed a few new faces and dished up 64 portions – WOW!
A week Friday, we’ll be making pizza, chosen by our lovely member Kirsty – we can’t wait! See you all Wednesday for music!
On Friday we talked about OUR LIVES – what we enjoy, what we need, and how to make things better!
WORK & ACTIVITIES “I like working with adults with learning disabilities.” “I enjoy People First and seeing my friends.” “I love plane spotting with my outreach worker.” “I need more activities.” “I like going shopping.”
SUPPORT Some members prefer female staff. “I don’t need support all the time, but I need more help with my mental health.”
COMMUNITY “I want to feel safe.” “We need more opportunities.” “More exercise classes that are easy for me to do.” “I want more people to talk to me and accept me.”
HOME “Sometimes, staff are not nice.” “I sometimes feel lonely.” “I like my own room and space.” “I love my dogs, my family, and nice food.” “I enjoy going to respite.”
HEALTH “I don’t like having a bad belly, and I can’t eat the foods I enjoy because of allergies.” “Staff help me understand my health.” “I like walking with my support worker.” “Doctors take too long to answer the phone.” “I like walking to keep fit and listening to music.” “I need longer doctors’ appointments.”
This is ‘My Beautiful Life’, a way for us to share what makes us happy and what support we need. Thank you to everyone for sharing – your voices matter!
We had a fantastic turnout at Friday’s Reconnect Through Cookery session! Everyone enjoyed tasty chicken burgers with fries, and our members prepared a fresh and healthy side salad.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped out in the kitchen, and to Sarah & Hayley for sorting the register and raffle. Big shoutout to Gethin & Taylor for hosting a fun St. David’s Day Quiz – great job, both of you! Thanks, everyone, for another amazing session!
Important Update:
This week is music session only on Wednesday (5th March) Cookery resumes the following Friday (14th March) From March 5th onwards, sessions will alternate weekly.
Thanks to the incredible support from the Arts Council of Wales, we hosted a spectacular evening last night with Circo Rum Ba Ba’s ‘The Snow Queen’s Magnificent Christmas Message’ at Bargoed Community Centre. And wow, what a night it was!
What is Noson Allan? Noson Allan is all about bringing our community together for unique, joyful events that spread laughter, creativity, and connection. It’s a celebration of art, culture, and togetherness – and last night was no exception!
Circo Rum Ba Ba delivered an unforgettable performance with their dazzling cast. With 69 attendees and 7 amazing volunteers, the show was a massive hit! The cast interacted with the audience, sparking laughter, smiles, and festive cheer throughout the hall.
A huge shoutout to:
Amy and Cheryl, who served up delicious hot chocolate and snacks to keep everyone warm and cosy. Kyle Richards, who spent the entire day at the venue, setting up props and ensuring everything ran smoothly – and even entertained us during the show! Local care home staff, who went above and beyond to transport clients safely on a cold, dark evening. Your care and dedication are truly appreciated. The children who took part and added extra magic to the evening!
Thank you to everyone who made the night special. The laughter, smiles, and festive spirit filled the air – and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. Let’s hope we can do it all again next year!
Merry Christmas from Caerphilly People First and The Parent Network!
