Our new Managing Director Karen Moy has lived and breathed mental health in her 14-year career in the third sector.
Karen joined the ranks at Combat2Coffee in September 2024, having previously worked for numerous charities across the county – including our friends at Suffolk Mind.
She brings with her unrivalled experience in the sector – which tied in with her family’s military history – is inspiring her to take us to new heights.
She is already hard at work in growing our operations.
“It’s been a really busy start,” she said. “But one I’ve really enjoyed.
“I’ve lived and breathed mental health for the last 14 years. To support another organisation on its growth journey was a no brainer.
“I’d worked alongside Combat2Coffee before in a previous role, but never quite realised the scale of what the outreach team achieves.”
Karen is no stranger to the military world, having married a veteran and grown up with grandparents who served in the armed forces.
She said: “Both my grandparents were veterans but they never really spoke about their experiences. It goes to show you just how little veterans have spoken about their mental health in the past.
“My husband is also a veteran, so I feel I’ve got that connection with the families we support.”
Karen has great ambitions to help grow both the commercial and social enterprise arms of Combat2Coffee, inspired by the outreach work she has already seen taking place.
She said: “I’ve been to a couple of veterans’ breakfasts now and it’s there where you really see the scale of what we do.
“It brings everything we do to life – you realise these veterans aren’t statistics, but real people who live in a genuine community that’s so close and supportive.
“I want to grow the commercial arm as it puts the money into those outreach services. From there, what I really want to see is our outreach work grow across Suffolk and to make our support as accessible as possible.
“Once we’ve got Suffolk nailed down, we can start thinking about spreading to other counties. It’s something really unique that we do here at Combat2Coffee, and it’s needed across the country.”
Karen’s start to life at Combat2Coffee has certainly been a fast-paced one, but that doesn’t stop her enjoying an active lifestyle with her husband and son in her free time.
“I’m very active,” she added. “I love going to the gym with my family – but I’m also a true country girl that loves getting out walking the dog around Suffolk.”
