How the Kairos ethos carries us through

Looking back over Kairos Community Trust’s 30-year history, it has clearly developed a resourcefulness, resilience and ability to adapt in the face of change, chance and challenge.

The charity has learnt and accepts that there are times when you can’t be prepared for every eventuality. An acceptance that things could go wrong, even fail, is a given. I have learnt that problems are not always resolved through a water-tight business continuity plan. Rather, I have reached the conclusion that an openness and a mindset that is willing to embrace ongoing, responsive planning is the key. Plan, yes, but always with a readiness to plan continuously – dynamic planning.

Time has also shown me that planning a way through and a way forward is a collective exercise and this has been the Kairos strength. Working together in Kairos emanates from a shared culture and, conversely, in collaboration we build and reinforce that culture: the Kairos ethos. To quote a member of staff, “having surrounded myself with good people, it comes easily”. As a collective, we don’t blame the failure of a plan handed down, we work on solutions, answers and responses together.

Twenty-four years in Kairos has taught me that our vibrant, dynamic charity is the result of a shared ethos, a hard-work ethic and a solidarity that affirm each other. We need to remind ourselves of these foundational qualities, protect them and continue to build on them.

COVID-19 Christmas/New Year update

• The vaccine is on the way BUT please don’t let your guard down now. It’s going to be a difficult, even dangerous few weeks over Christmas and New Year with infection rates rising rapidly across London; as a result, the city has been put into Tier 3 lockdown.
• Please watch out for guidance and any new regulations which will affect you. The best website to follow is the BBC at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904 but also go to https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
• The advice I give is: stay at home, wear a mask, observe personal space and keep those hands washed/sanitised.
• Kairos will have on-call cover for all Move-On houses over Christmas and the New Year.

Thank-you’s…

I want to thank all the staff at Linden Grove for the way each one responded to the Covid-19 outbreak there last week. A calm but whole-hearted response. I would like to salute and praise especially the volunteers and the DWP Permitted Work Scheme workers. Through the week you were always positive, cheerful and hands-on. When I rang on Saturday, Hester and Mark were doing the lunches; on Sunday it was Bruce and Hester with Cass covering on Sunday night. Thanks to Tim Penrice for moving in from managing the Garden Day Programme to be the still point, the axis around which the operation revolved at Linden last week.

It’s the work we do. It’s the work we have done. I used one word more than any other today, dynamic. Let us work together to continue to make Kairos a dynamic presence for good in our wider community.

I wish everybody a Happy Christmas and New Year.

– Mossie