Pizza and Terrariums:

World Mental Health Day 2023

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay, and at FCHA, our team gathered around a wood-fired pizza van for lunch, indulging in good food and conversation. 🍕 before spending the afternoon at our stress-down session.

Relaxation and creativity were on the cards as staff sat together to build beautiful terrariums, finding solace in the soothing process of creating something green and serene. 🌿

Taking care of our mental health is essential. We believe in fostering a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Remember, it's okay not to be okay, and seeking help is a sign of strength.

Call Samaritans or Mind for more information

Samaritans: 116 123

Mind: 0300 123 3393

Meet the Team: Electricians

Winter 2022 saw FCHA recruit 2 new electricians to help develop the electrical systems at tenant properties and in the head office here in Cardiff.

The Team

Ciaran is our new electrician. He has worked in the social housing sector for a number of years carrying out electrical maintenance and condition reports.

Tina has also joined the team as the Apprentice Electrician. For the past 2 years she has been at college completing electrical installations. She will be working to assist Ciaran on site and to further her skills to become a qualified electrician.

What will they be doing?

Ciaran and Tina's main role will be helping FCHA achieve their goal of becoming carbon neutral. This will involve installing energy monitoring equipment into properties to analyse energy use and environmental monitors to provide data on the conditions of the properties. They will also be equipping some homes with smart technology to give tenants control over their homes and help reduce energy use.

Tenants and Digital Tech

Here are some quotes from tenants in Swansea who have had sensors and smart technology added to their home. These tenants have also been provided digital equipment to help them reduce their energy costs and allow them to be more digitally included.

The FCHA Van

New to FCHA are the vans! These new vehicles will allow some staff to get the work done at tenant properties more effectively. Ciaran and Tina will use this to install smart devices in tenant homes or help with electrical issues.

We encourage all tenants and staff to get a photo in front of the FCHA van if spotted outside your home. We encourage all tenants to send photos and stories of their experiences with digital technology to go in our Newsletter. All entries have a chance to win a voucher from us!

Here's one tenant standing in front of the van!

Cardiff Half Marathon Fundraising.

March marks this years Cardiff Half Marathon and 6 members of staff from FCHA are running on behalf of Gig Buddies Cymru. First Choice has been a funder of Gig Buddies Cymru since it's inception in 2018 are honoured to support them during the Half Marathon for such a fantastic cause.

Gig Buddies Cymru pairs up adults with and without a learning disability who share the same interests so they can go to gigs and events together. It’s a very simple and effective way to tackle loneliness and isolation, while creating new friendships who can enjoy the arts, sport and new experiences together. You can find out more and apply to be a gig buddy here:

The 6 members of staff running the Cardiff Half Marathon are: Adrian Burke, Nigel Bowen, Tudor Davies, Michael Mainwaring, Dave Bingham, and Richard Griffiths. You can support their fundraising here.

First Choice's Housing Manager Nigel had this to say about supporting Gig Buddies Cymru in the Cardiff Half Marathon:

First Choice has been very proud to support and provide funding to Gig Buddies Cymru since 2018. The actions, aims and outcomes of Gig Buddies Cymru are directly linked to the values of the Association. First Choice has been a provider of housing for people with a learning disability for over 30 years. We feel passionately about promoting the rights of our tenants – and all people with a learning disability – to be able to enjoy all aspects of life.

Bristol Fundraising Gig in 2020

First Choice agrees with the Disability Rights Commission`s stance that all people with a disability should have equal opportunities to participate and contribute as equal citizens in the social, economic, civic and community life of the country. We believe that Gig Buddies Cymru plays a key role in helping to achieve this for people with a learning disability. Six members of the First Choice staff team are running the Cardiff Half this year to raise awareness of the great work that Gig Buddies Cymru does – and we welcome any donations to help motivate us further for what we are sure will be a great day. Training is going well but there is a lot of hard work still to be done. We can’t wait to join the rest of the runners representing Gig Buddies Cymru on 27th March.”

Support our runners

You can find out more about all our runners and donate to their LocalGiving fundraising page at the link below:

First Choice Housing – Adrian, Nigel, Tudor, Michael, Dave, Richard