Speaker Kelly Macknight, Founder of be Heard! (http://beheard.org.nz)
Kelly Macknight attended St Hilda’s. She spent thirteen years as the CHRO of a global technology company before founding a not-for-profit organisation, “be heard”, designed to offer free one-to-one counselling at selected primary and intermediate schools across Dunedin.
Kelly was aware of the challenges facing previous providers and set about organising a dedicated group to guide the self-funding emerging service. The service receives no government funding and relies on grants and donations.
The service began in 2023 serving four local schools. The single counsellor supported eighty-two students. The service deals with low to moderate issues and if there are more serious things going on it refers them to other agencies.
The service found that there were many children who were very anxious starting school post Covid — particularly those who did not get a proper start to their school year because of lockdown. Kelly said that they were sort of transitioning and they may have missed some of the last primary school activities because there were no discos and things like that.
This year, with a second counsellor, the service is helping seven schools and is supporting forty-two so far.
Kelly was aware of the challenges facing previous providers and set about organising a dedicated group to guide the self-funding emerging service. The service receives no government funding and relies on grants and donations.
The service began in 2023 serving four local schools. The single counsellor supported eighty-two students. The service deals with low to moderate issues and if there are more serious things going on it refers them to other agencies.
The service found that there were many children who were very anxious starting school post Covid — particularly those who did not get a proper start to their school year because of lockdown. Kelly said that they were sort of transitioning and they may have missed some of the last primary school activities because there were no discos and things like that.
This year, with a second counsellor, the service is helping seven schools and is supporting forty-two so far.
