Kelly Stuart 19/03/2020 News

Happy Birthday – All Wales People First

This year is our 30^th Birthday.

We were founded as People First Wales in 1990.

We were founded by an organisation called SCOVO.

SCOVO stands for Standing Conference of Voluntary Organisations.

SCOVO are now known as Learning Disability Wales.

We were set up because it was decided that people with learning disabilities needed a national voice.

In the early days People First Wales was set up to find out people’s experiences of:

1. What people with Learning Disabilities did in day services
2. Moving out of hospital
3. Where they lived
4. Experiences of work and employment
5. College and Further Education
6. Relationships

We became All Wales People First a member led company in 2001.

Over the years the organisation has become stronger and stronger.

And we have learned how to do things better.

But we have never changed from our core mission.

And that is to give People First groups and people with Learning Disabilities a genuine voice at a National level in Wales.

We believe that there should be one voice for people with learning disabilities.

A voice that is only that of people with learning disabilities.

And not mixed in with the views of those who don’t have a learning disability.

I am very proud to work for All Wales People First.

I am proud of the culture.

And the way we take our direction from people with learning disabilities.

This is unique in Wales.

During this year we want to do some fun things to celebrate our 30^th birthday.

We will give you more information about this soon.

One of the things you can do, if you want is:

Help us design a thirty-year birthday logo.

The deadline is 20^th April 2020.

The best idea will be made into a digital logo.

The winner will get a £25.00 Amazon gift voucher.

You don’t need to be good at art to enter this competition.

It is the idea we are looking for, not how good your artwork is.

I would like to end my article by saying a big thank you to the many people who have made All Wales People First a success over the years.

For now I would like to give a special thanks to our founding fathers and mothers

• Katrina Kurowski
• Yvonne Boxall
• Jim Crowe
• Ken Davies
• Lynne Evans
• Edwin Jones
• Graham Lowe
• Shirley Lowe
• Cyril Luke
• Dawn Price
• Gwyneth Strong
• Katrina Thomas
• Stuart Todd
• Colin Vyvyan
• Aneurin Williams
• Glayne Walker

Thanks to all of you who have ever given your time to All Wales People First.

This article was informed by a PowerPoint presentation given by Katrina Kurowski and Sharon Davies at AdFest 2016.

VICTORY FOR SELF-ADVOCACY.