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January 2025
Karis Neighbour Scheme: a review of 2024
The close of the office at Christmas represented the end of a very busy year for us. Karis Neighbour Scheme celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, which was a really emotional time. From an office that started as a team of three people, we now have 17 staff, working across six projects that support individuals in the community who are facing a range of challenges. Some of our staff have been here almost since the beginning, others started as volunteers and became paid staff, many have been here for ten plus years. Along with our volunteer body, we recognise and value the immense contribution that all make to our work.
It was in this year that we saw more people than ever before, and had a higher contact rate than ever before! "Contact" represents the number of times we see an individual over the course of a year. In 2024, we saw 1,941 individuals and we had 11,300 contacts with them. This is an increase from the previous year of 300 people, and 2,000 contacts.
We welcomed Kal (social prescriber), Tahlia (Karis BeFriends project assistant), Alison (Chaplain for Wellbeing) and Emma (Children and Families) who returned to provide maternity cover for Ruth. We said goodbye to Patti who had worked with Karis BeFriends since 2015, Ruth who left to have her baby and we will also be saying goodbye in January to Edd who manages the Men's Space project. Hannah took over as baby bank coordinator to cover part of Ruth's role, alongside Emma.
Karis Neighbour Scheme: a review of 2024
The close of the office at Christmas represented the end of a very busy year for us. Karis Neighbour Scheme celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, which was a really emotional time. From an office that started as a team of three people, we now have 17 staff, working across six projects that support individuals in the community who are facing a range of challenges. Some of our staff have been here almost since the beginning, others started as volunteers and became paid staff, many have been here for ten plus years. Along with our volunteer body, we recognise and value the immense contribution that all make to our work.
It was in this year that we saw more people than ever before, and had a higher contact rate than ever before! "Contact" represents the number of times we see an individual over the course of a year. In 2024, we saw 1,941 individuals and we had 11,300 contacts with them. This is an increase from the previous year of 300 people, and 2,000 contacts.
We welcomed Kal (social prescriber), Tahlia (Karis BeFriends project assistant), Alison (Chaplain for Wellbeing) and Emma (Children and Families) who returned to provide maternity cover for Ruth. We said goodbye to Patti who had worked with Karis BeFriends since 2015, Ruth who left to have her baby and we will also be saying goodbye in January to Edd who manages the Men's Space project. Hannah took over as baby bank coordinator to cover part of Ruth's role, alongside Emma.