Kairos AGM 2025: Community, wellbeing and reflection

Vincent Mahe opened the night, welcoming everyone assembled and thanking all residents and staff who had prepared the event before handing over to some of Linden Grove’s residents for a musical welcome.

Chair of Trustees Paul Carter began by offering thanks to staff across Kairos, including the kitchen and office teams.  He paid tribute to long-standing trustee Shawn McCarthy, retiring after 20 years of service, and expressed appreciation to Mossie for his ongoing leadership.

Paul reported that the charity remains in a strong financial position, with Kairos purchasing a house in Wandsworth this year to replace the previous, rented property in the borough.  He thanked major partners including CRASH, Southwark Council and the National Lottery Community Fund and acknowledged individual fundraisers, including people who ran marathons in fundraising for Kairos this year.  Core income streams such as housing benefit and social services funding continue to provide stability for our work and Paul emphasised the importance of careful, purposeful spending.  He then proposed the reappointment of the Carley Partnership as auditors, acknowledging the work of Claire, Tanja and David.

This year’s guest speaker was Robbie Sayle, a long-time friend of Kairos.  He spoke with humour and honesty about  what the Kairos community has meant to him over the years.  Robbie recalled a day spent working on the roof at Bethwin Road and a simple but magical moment hearing the sound of laughter from below, so powerful it gave him goosebumps.  He said he hopes those voices are still laughing today.

Director Mossie Lyons spoke next, offering warm thanks to everyone present and to all who contribute to Kairos each day.  He paid tribute to Kairos co-founder Fr John Kitchen, who had celebrated his eightieth birthday at the weekend and could not be with us this year, for the first time, noting that we miss him and we thank him for the courage and determination that shaped Kairos from the beginning.

Mossie centred his remarks on this year’s theme of wellbeing, reflecting on the four pillars of Kairos: houses, programmes, finances and teams.  Activities such as beekeeping, mindful photography and Walk with Kairos continue to enrich community life.  He highlighted the continued growth of Kairos’ wellbeing programmes, including Kairos Counselling, Nunhead Psychotherapy Group and the Southwark-commissioned Recovery Communities initiative, and the exceptional level of one-to-one support now available across the Pathways structure.  Mossie thanked Baz for his voluntary work with mindful photography and Walk with Kairos, and noted the importance of the annual trips to Lourdes with the Oblates, attended by many in the community.  He also thanked Martina Cullen and the Oblates for their contributions and for welcoming Kairos so fully.

Turning to the financial pillar, Mossie acknowledged the Carley Partnership, who had singled out Oye Oke for the clarity of Kairos’ financial work.  He also recognised colleagues who have moved roles this year, with thanks to Tim  Penrice on his retirement and a welcome to Simon Woods and to Bruce Morris, following Danny Cruse’s departure last week.  Between them, him, Dorothy Woodward-Pynn and Oye now hold more than seventy years of collective service to Kairos and Mossie offered particular thanks to Dorothy.

Mossie closed by returning to the theme of wellbeing, noting that “attention is the purest form of generosity” and it begins with yourself.  “All we are here to do,” he reminded all those who were assembled, “is to walk one another home.”

Speeches complete, the evening continued in classic Kairos fashion: over food, conversation and a show-stopping trifle from Sandra Ginnelly and her team.