MBE award for Kyra Women's Project founder
Yvonne Copley - from Easingwold - has been recognised in the New Year Honours 2022 list.
The founder and Chief Executive of Kyra Women's Project in York has received an MBE in the New Year Honours 2022 list.
Yvonne Copley, from Easingwold, has been recognised for services to women and the community in York.
● Yvonne was founder and chief executive of Kyra's Women's project and has just recently stood down. She worked in the prison in the Psychology department as a trainer.
● It was while working for the Samaritans in York while on a break from her former role as a Prison Officer that she recognised that many women phoning help lines after entering or leaving prison and in many other walks of life were in need of additional support.
● She was determined to do something to help those facing barriers and crisis due to domestic abuse, isolation, mental health issues, addiction, bereavement, long term illness, anxiety and loneliness.
● She was committed to doing something about this and the Kyra project was born.
● It grew to having over 1000 service users who made an average of 120 weekly visits, and taking up places on 23 different courses, classes and services including craft, gardening, cooking, singing and a reading group.
● She has built Kyra’s profile with the NHS primary health care providers in the community. Three out of five women are referred via the NHS.
● Since coming to Kyra 93% say they are less lonely and 96% say it has helped their overall recovery. 89% are more confident about the future.
● She has written practical guides and delivered courses as well as trained other volunteers to deliver Kyra’s services.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio York, Yvonne said:
"I was very surprised and very excited (to hear the news), and also very humbled by it. The role I was doing was one I very much wanted to do, and to be acknowledged for it as absolutely amazing.
"It was very difficult (not telling anybody) as it's something you want to tell the world about and thank all your volunteers by saying 'this is all part of you'. It's been quite a few weeks since I found out, so I tried to put it out of my head a bit.
"It gives charities like Kyra a bit of a higher profile and if it helps to get the word out about what we do then that's wonderful. There are so many charities in York doing amazing work, and for us to get this accolade it's just wonderful.
"My husband and I might pop a bottle to celebrate. I need to share it with my husband more than anybody else as he's tolerated me working on this project for the last 8 years! I'm sure we'll find someway to celebrate, even in a small way".