A new quiet room has officially opened at Koala’s community hub in Andover, creating a private and welcoming space for one-to-one support and confidential conversations.
The room was officially unveiled with a ribbon-cutting at the charity’s hub in the Chantry Centre, attended by Koala CEO Tori Rist and Cllr Phil North, Leader of Test Valley Borough Council and former Hampshire County Councillor.
Koala is a charity for autistic people, run by autistic people, providing support from toddlers through to adults through its community outreach work.
The charity has been based at its current hub for around 18 months, but as the service developed, the team identified a need for somewhere quieter and more private within the building.
Tori Rist, CEO of Koala, explained: “One of the things we realised was that we didn’t have a nice quiet space to speak to people and have one-to-one sessions.
“Noise carries right the way through the building, so we needed somewhere that would give us a quiet space to have confidential conversations.
“When people are struggling, if you’re sitting out in the middle of the first floor and other people can hear the conversation, they’re not necessarily going to be willing to talk to us. This has created that nice, safe space.”
The project was made possible with a £1,000 grant from Hampshire County Council, facilitated by Cllr Phil North through his devolved funding while he was serving as a Hampshire County Councillor.
Cllr North said he was delighted to see the finished room after supporting Koala on a number of occasions over the years.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see this room now take shape. I’ve been involved with Koala on many occasions and helped them with various grant funds over the years.
“They’re a fantastic charity doing a lot of great work for neurodivergent individuals and people who need help and support with everyday life.
“They’ve got an open-plan venue here in the Chantry Centre which meets their needs, but they needed a quiet room where they could talk to people on an individual basis, and that’s what this grant funding was for.”
The funding was not the only contribution behind the new room. Koala also received significant support from a volunteer builder who gave his time to create the space free of charge.
Tori said: “We had a volunteer and builder create the whole space for us, which is amazing. He’s a full-time carer to his child who can’t access school, and he’s come in and done all this work for free.
“Without him, and without people’s help, we wouldn’t be able to create this space.”
She added that volunteers remain at the heart of Koala and the wider charity sector.
“Without volunteers, for the charity sector and even for a community like ours, it’s just so important. They’re at the core of what we do.”
Cllr North also praised the wider impact Koala has had on people and families across the Andover area.
He added: “Koala are a fantastic charity and organisation operating locally here in Andover. They do so much great work supporting neurodivergent individuals, their families and people who need a little bit of help and support with everyday life.
“That’s had such an impact in terms of helping people and enabling them to continue with their education, whether that’s in mainstream or special schools, and just being that help and support.
“They do a lot of great work and continue to go from strength to strength.”
The new quiet room will now provide Koala with a dedicated space where people can speak privately with members of the team, particularly when discussing sensitive issues or when a calmer environment is needed.