Pembrokeshire
People First
Portcullis House
Old Hakin Road
Haverfordwest
Pembs
SA61 1XE
Pembrokeshire
People First
Advocacy: 01437 769135
Everything Else: 01437 762524
[email protected]
www.pembrokeshirepeople1st.org.uk
Registered Charity Number 1091201
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16
and
(pembspeople1st)
By and For Adults
With Learning
Disabilities or
Autism in
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
People First
Referrals
Pembrokeshire People First is an independent
charity, run by and for adults with learning
disabilities and/or autism.
Our members set our remit every two years,
providing us with a “manifesto”. This focuses on
developing skills and resilience, and independence.
We do this through:
For any of our projects, anyone can make a referral.
You can come and see us, and one of our members
will tell you what we do, and help you decide what
you fancy doing. Call us on 01437 762524.
Advocacy
Training
Groups
Campaigning
Volunteers
We focus on
Respect
Confidence
Having A Stronger
Voice
Being member-led
in everything we do
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For advocacy, anyone can make a referral too.
Call us on 01437 769135.
Volunteers are
vital to the work
of PPF, providing
members with
encouragement,
emotional
support,
and sometimes just a chat over a cuppa! We
need volunteers to help with our groups; work
1:1 as Citizen Advocates, and help in the office.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact our
Volunteer Coordinator on 01437 762524.
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Our Issues
Our Voice
We run a Campaigns Group that brings
important learning disability and autism issues
to local politicians and statutory bodies like the
Health Board and the Council.
Advocacy
PPF co-chairs Pembrokeshire Voices for
Equality; holds the Vice Chair for the Advocacy
Strategy Group; and is an active member of the
Pembrokeshire Access Group.
PPF is also a Third Party Hate Crime
Reporting Centre for people who don’t want to
report a crime direct to the police.
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We provide specialist issue-based advocacy
for adults (16+) with learning disabilities and/
or autism. We work with anyone in this
group, but have additional specialisms in
working with parents with learning
disabilities; people with learning disabilities
with additional mental health issues; and
people on the autistic spectrum.
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Our Voice
Citizen Advocacy
This matches volunteers with some of our
more vulnerable members to provide
companionship and encourage integration into
the community. This project is currently
unfunded so running on a very small scale.
Peer Advocacy
Peer advocacy is a
powerful tool to build
confidence, with
trained peer advocates
who have experienced
similar situations to
their partners – social
isolation; issues with
travel; health and
wellbeing etc. Our
project is for people
on the autistic
spectrum and we are
recruiting both peer advocates and partners.
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Coming Soon
Young Tudor Project
We are hoping to develop an early evening youth
group specifically aimed at teenagers on the
autistic spectrum, alongside NAS Pembrokeshire.
Schools work
In autumn 2015, members will be trained to deliver
workshops in schools and youth settings,
challenging ideas about learning disability and
focussing on hate crime.
Counselling
We currently have a small provision for counselling
for members, and would like to expand this.
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Our Time
We
have two groups, one for women and one for
men. They run every Thursday from 9.30 to
12.30. They alternate each week. The groups
provide a safe space to make friends and
explore issues, particularly around feelings
and relationships. The groups are open to
anyone, and operate on a project basis –
currently the groups are exploring their life
stories, using mixed media and movement.
We also host a family group which meets
to provide parents who have learning
disabilities with a safe space to discuss
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issues important to them.
Our Space
The PPF Drop In
This is a popular
project that runs every
Thursday afternoon
from 12.30 to 3.30 in
Johnston. It’s a place
for people to get
together, cook a meal,
take part in social
activities, and engage
with statutory services. Again, it is open to all.
There are also “pop up” drop-ins in other
areas, particularly Milford Haven.
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Our Living Skills
Project
The Tudor Project
This is our member led living skills centre,
focussing on practical skills and emotional
resilience. The activities vary, from
practical home-based cooking and
budgeting and
community activities
(hosting a tea for
the elderly; National
Parks walks); to
developing micro
enterprises such as
a small food co-op
and a fair-trade
stall. The project is
currently in its pilot
phase, but will be
open to
commissioned
places from
November 2015.
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Our Projects
We’ve just started a project on Thursday
morning all about gaming and computers. We
play games on the big screen. We are hoping
to do a podcast and set up a games swap
shop. And we hope to look at computers and
gain skills in mending them. It’s free and
everyone is welcome.
Our members ask us to look a the big
issues. We will soon be working with a
psychology masters’ student to
research bereavement, loss and
learning disability.
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Sharing Our Skills
Accessible Literature
PPF can be commissioned to provide accessible
versions of letters; brochures; policies and
consultations. We will be expanding this part of
our work with a user-led easy read project.
Training
PPF has trained members to co-deliver on a wide
range of subjects including Equality and Diversity;
Keeping Yourself Safe; Learning Disability
Awareness; and Human Rights.
Room rental
PPF has a variety of rooms available for hire at
reasonable rates.
Our Living Skills
Project
The Tudor Project Wednesdays are “taster
sessions” where anyone is welcome to
come to (largely) free sessions, from art to
social media, and from mindfulness to
“Ready Steady Cook”.
Tudor Project joint working
We welcome working with other
organisations on specific training projects;
using our Tudor Project space for drop-ins
etc.
Joint Working
We work closely with our neighbours in
Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, as well as other
advocacy providers, and hope to expand this.
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Membership
Anyone with a
learning
disability or
autism can be
a member of
PPF. It’s free,
you get a
regular newsletter & invites to events. We
hold an annual conference on issues that
are important to our
members—like work,
computers and
relationships.
We get involved with All
Wales People First to
make contacts and look
at national issues.
PPF member Lucy is the
chair of All Wales People
First.
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Sharing Our Skills
Events and projects
PPF holds regular events on specific themes
such as sex and relationships and employment.
We have also worked in Pembrokeshire
College and Pembrokeshire Social Activity
Centres, and welcome further joint working.
Consultations
PPF can be commissioned to hold
accessible,
interactive
and fun
consultations.
For example,
we recently
worked with
Dyfed Powys
Police on
barriers to
crime
reporting.
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