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After a two month long search and numerous attempts at securing sponsored premises for KAS, we made a business decision to rent a small office from which we can run the KAS operation in South Africa - and we are thrilled with our little office!

Oti and I in the boardroom at the new premises.

Little it is and at the moment we cannot even move in there having transferred all the KAS items from my house and everything that was stored at Gina’s place.  We still need to bring across the hundreds of blanket packs from Wendy’s home and then finally move all the completed blankets that are being stored at Brenda’s home.  Some way to go…..

 Why move on a sunny day when you can move in the POURING rain?

The main move took place in a steady downpour of rain at the beginning of March, since when we have been moving across in bits and pieces.  What with all the activities we’ve had on the go recently, and Wendy and Gina’s flu bugs, we’ve been obliged to move slowly and methodically.  NOW we get to the tough part – sorting and tidying so as to make the best use of our space!  This I am leaving up to Gina and Wendy who both get a glint in the eye at the mention of “organising”.  So, as soon as they are well, they will have their work cut out for them and I am going to focus on my big sister Zanny, who arrived from Australia to visit!!!

Our new office, unit 2J, in the Surrey Bizhub Office Park on Surrey Avenue in Randburg is part of a shared office facility and there are eight other tenants in the building with us.  The neighbours we have met so far all seem lovely and are intrigued about what we do – it will not be long before we persuade all the tenants to knit, I can assure you. 

One of the facilities available to us, as part of the shared space agreement, is a lovely BIG boardroom which we book every Thursday morning so that our volunteers have somewhere roomy where they can spread out to open and sort all your wonderful contributions.  The added bonus is that this boardroom is on the ground floor – a blessing when hauling in all the mail from the KASvan.  Our office is on the first floor.   So, on Thursdays, our volunteers all meet in the boardroom and spend time there and our actual office is then used to store items for distribution and also to house the admin side of KAS – a rather complex set up and one to be featured in another report.

Our first opening day at the new office – this is the lovely boardroom we are able to use.

The office is situated near the Randburg CBD and is about a 10 minute drive from the Bryanston Post Office where all the mail arrives.  So, everything is fairly close by, but more importantly it is conveniently accessible to Lindi and Wandi who are obliged to use our somewhat informal public transport system!  This is going to be a very important PLUS for us when we start the knitting and crochet lessons we have planned.

I hope that the photos have given you an idea of our new space and we will give you all an update once the office is sorted properly and presentable.  I know that Wendy and Gina have great ideas and are champing at the bit to get well and strong enough to begin!!!!

Something I MUST say here, is that we are just LOVING the shelves which Caleb built for us – they work so well and remind us of the Miller family with affection … thanks again, Caleb!!! 

Moving Day, Little Loads, Oti and Ronda – take note of the good shelves!!!

Autumn is creeping nearer and we have had rather unseasonable all-day rain for the better part of a month now in place of the usual pattern of hot muggy days, building up to huge thunderstorms each afternoon/evening.  If, as predicted, we are looking ahead to an early and very chilly winter it will be a priority for us to get ourselves sorted as soon as possible in readiness for a concentrated period of distributions.

We also need to find more volunteers to help sew up the backlog of blanket packs, but with the many leads we picked up at Hobby X, it will be only a matter of time before we are all caught up again. In order to achieve blankets from all the squares we have, we are busy approaching various groups to help … and we are encouraged by the enthusiasm we find.

Thanks for your great encouragement and support, verbal and financial, as we moved to sort out the accommodation challenge! 

We are comfortable in our new space and we are relieved and happy to know that, for at LEAST the next full year, we will not be faced with another move!  Three moves in seven months have been instructive, to say the least!

Anyway, I must go – there are blankets that need sewing together… oh, and a brief interview on air with a local radio station!!  But, more about that in due course!

Hurry back Gina and Wendy, the space is filling up and we need your ORGANISATIONAL skills!!