At the latest cookery session members prepared vegetables to go with sausage, mash, and gravy, and we also served hotdogs for the non veg lovers.
It was great to welcome new members and to see everyone socialising and having fun with the quiz and bingo (thanks Ffion). Thank you to all our volunteers who work very hard every week – we couldn’t do it without you.
Next time the lovely Cheryl & Zoe will be serving up chicken curry and rice, and our members will be preparing the ingredients. See you all on Friday, 11am until 2pm.
At this week’s crafts session members had a go at designing their own book markers with our Cheryl Smith from the Parent Network Community Forum. Well done everyone, they look great
Our craft sessions run fortnightly on Tuesdays at Bargoed YMCA from 12.30pm until 2.00pm. Please contact us via email or phone to reserve your space.
Yesterday, at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens and Nursey, our volunteers managed to pick green beans before the weather turned bad. Following this, the plots were too wet to work on, so we picked tomatoes and cucumbers in the polytunnel.
On our fruit plot, the raspberries have started to make an appearance. Early varieties of summer-fruiting raspberries should be ready for harvesting from June, with later varieties ripening into September.
If you would like to join us at the allotments, we are there every Tuesday morning 10.30 until 12.30.
We have relaunched our Reconnect through Cookery project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. For our first week back members prepared salad, mushrooms and onions for spaghetti bolognese (chosen by Ffion), served with a side of cheesy garlic bread.
Lucy’s choice of chicken stir fry during week 2 was also delicious, and we served it with spring rolls and prawn crackers. Members also prepped broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and pak-choi, and everyone did a great job. Thanks to Ffion for the bingo session, and well done to all the winners.
Massive thanks to everyone who volunteered at both sessions. It’s been great to see everyone enjoying socialising and catching up with their friends. We have missed you. We do have limited spaces available but if you would like to join us please email or call us.
Yesterday Caerphilly People First volunteers and members enjoyed a relaxed afternoon getting Crafty with Cheryl Smith from the Parent Network Community Forum when they used stencils and felts to add designs to their book boxes.
Art and craft is great for relaxation and wellbeing and encourages teamwork and socialisation. Our next session is on Tuesday 12th of September; if you would like to join us please email enquiries@caerphillypeoplefirst.org
Thank you to the Parent Network Community Forum for inviting us to their Teddy Bear’s Picnic event in Bargoed Park last week. Our volunteers set up an information stall and chatted to children and parents about all the hard work they do as volunteers, and the work of Caerphilly People First. They also handed out newsletters, healthy eating leaflets, colouring books, and gel pens.
On Thursday 24th August, staff and members went to Barry Island to visit one of our past members Louise Price. The sun was shining and we had a great day, which included playing crazy golf, and rides on the dodgems, log flume, and waltzers. It was lovely to see Louise and we hope to see her again soon.
Yesterday our volunteers tidied up the plots at TARRAGAN Educational Gardens and Nursery and also picked some green beans and courgettes.
We’d like to send massive congratulations to the group on being shortlisted at the GAVO Annual Volunteering Awards! Well done guys!
This is a report written by our head gardener Morgan Jones:
My employment with Caerphilly People First has started. I’m now the head gardener at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens. At the allotments yesterday, my job was to give orders to Rees Powell and Gethin Chamberlain. The main thing we all had to do was to dig out the weeds which had been growing and growing, because of the rain we’d been having over the last few weeks. Once we had finished our work, I asked Rees & Gethin to clean all the tools and put them away neatly and tidily.
I’m very grateful and satisfied because before now, I hadn’t been paid at any of my jobs, because all of them had been voluntary. I’d like to thank Caerphilly People First for awarding me the TARAGGAN allotments job, because since I started working there, I’ve loved every second.
Last week we visited Merthyr Football Club to attend The Paul Ridd Foundation Health Care Roadshow. It was great to see various friends including Mandy and the team from the Welsh Ambulance service, Cwm Taff People First, and the nurses from the immunisation and dementia teams. We have copies available in our office of the Access to Healthcare booklet for people with a learning disability, their families and carers, or you can download a copy via the Paul Ridd foundation Website: paulriddfoundation.org
Last week Caerphilly People First joined the The Parent Network Community Forum for a trip to Margam Park and Aberavon beach. At Margam we walked around the grounds and saw llamas, ponies, bulls, deer, and pigs. We also took a trip on the mini railway. In Aberavon we walked along the beach, and some members went in the sea. Thank you to Amanda Jones for our invite, we all had wonderful day.
