A HUGE thank you to everyone who turned up to support Caerphilly People First for our sponsored walk at Pen Y Fan Pond yesterday!
The sun was shining, the spirits were high, and the laps were… well, many! Some of us did one, some smashed two, others powered through three, and a few even managed four laps!
Every step counted, and every penny raised means so much to us. We’ll let you know the total sponsorship money as soon as it’s all collected. Well done team – you absolutely smashed it!
Huge thanks to Jenny and the Torfaen People First members for inviting us to Able Radio recently! We had a fantastic time recording a show all about the Police Crime and Justice Plan, and we were also joined by Rhian, the Communication and Engagement Officer, who added some brilliant insights to the discussion
Special shout-out to Chris, who did an amazing job as our radio show host – confident, clear, and professional – we’re so proud of you!
Big thanks to Ffion and Nat for sharing how Caerphilly People First helped with the Easy Read version – such important work making information accessible to everyone! Stay tuned to hear the show soon!
Reconnect through Cookery was a huge hit again last week! We rolled up our sleeves and made a delicious homemade lasagna, served with warm, golden garlic bread – yum! Our amazing members also prepared a colourful fresh salad filled with juicy tomatoes, crispy lettuce, zesty spring onions, crunchy red onions, cool cucumber, and tasty mushrooms – the perfect combo to go with our lasagna!
A massive THANK YOU to all our fantastic volunteers – you’re the heart of our sessions – and to Peter our caretaker for helping set up the hall. You’re all superstars! We’ll see you again in two weeks for a flavour-packed session with curry and rice – we can’t wait!
Cooking, sharing, laughing, and reconnecting – that’s what it’s all about!
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!
Amy, Nat, and Gethin visited USW this morning to take part in a training session in the Simulation Suite. Today was all about being a patient!
Amy played a young lady with a learning disability, epilepsy, and a chest infection.
Nat portrayed a lady with a learning disability who lives in supported living and loves to visit A&E — she claimed to have drunk shampoo and bleach!
Gethin played a young man with a learning disability who fell into a bin and cut his head, with a suspected concussion.
The nursing students did amazing and worked brilliantly with our TRAC members. It was great to see them:
Asking for Health Profiles
Making reasonable adjustments
Using easy read language
Nat gave feedback and said the nurses did great! So proud of our team and the future healthcare professionals learning how to support people with learning disabilities with care and compassion. Great job everyone! You were all stars today!
Back at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens this morning, and it felt great! We loved seeing the new fruit trees and getting our hands dirty planting a few rows of potatoes. A big shoutout to Kyle for showing us how to plant the spuds! Can’t wait to be back again soon.
At our most recent chair yoga session we used stress balls to exercise our fingers, did some great stretches, and practiced yoga poses while holding on to the back of our chairs.
We named our poses “Tree Pose” and “Surfing Pose” – and even had a special Sleeping Beauty Yoga story for our relaxing time, accompanied by soothing music.
Everyone had so much fun and left feeling happy and relaxed. Thank you, Lisa! See you next Tuesday afternoon at 12:30pm.
Yesterday our amazing TRAC members Amy, Gethin, and Natalie teamed up with maternity student nurses and learning disability nurses for a powerful training session! They took part in realistic scenarios based on being new parents and preparing for the arrival of a baby. The goal? To show how all fields of nursing must work together for the best outcomes.
Communication is key! It’s not just what we say – it’s how we say it. Clear explanations, empathy, and tailored support can make a HUGE difference for parents with learning disabilities. By supporting people properly, we give everyone the chance to become amazing parents and raise their babies in a safe, loving environment. They absolutely loved the day and took away some important lessons!
Massive thanks to our TRAC members, the brilliant nurses, and Stacey and the whole team for making it such a great day! So proud of Amy, Gethin & Natalie; you’re helping change the future – one conversation at a time!
What a session we enjoyed yesterday – 50 people came along and blasted out 22 cracking tunes! Morgan brought the house down with Tom Jones, and When You Say Nothing at All by Ronan Keating, Ffion gave us all the feels with Fifteen by Taylor Swift, Sean had us dancing with a classic Madonna hit, and so many more amazing performances – the energy was through the roof!
We had pizza, dancing, singing, and laughter – what more could you want?! These sessions help build confidence, friendships, and bring pure joy to everyone involved. Our members say they “feel included, happier, and more confident” – and we LOVE hearing that! See you all again on Wednesday, May 14th – we can’t wait!
On Friday our members chopped celery, onions, and mushrooms to mix with our 5% fat lean mince and create a delicious spaghetti Bolognese. We served it with linguine, garlic bread, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top – yum!
We also had a fab time playing bingo, answering quiz questions, and enjoying some great music. It was lovely to see some new faces joining us too. A great day full of food, fun, and friendship!
