Our Story So Far
We've quickly evolved in 5 years!
Firstly from the initial positive reaction to our first book ‘How We Met’ in 2021; to the 5 book set of the Karey&Kareful Storybooks now being given FREE to over 3000 Special Needs Students in Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and Hunter area via our Karey&Kareful Reading Program. Each Special Needs Student has access to their own 5 book set.
By the end of 2025, we aim to double that number to 6,000. Thanks to supporters and charitable donors including – IGA Supermarkets, Bendigo Community Banks, ClubsGRANTs NSW, MG, JEEP, and the Bill Moss Foundation.
In early in 2024, we signed an Engagement Agreement with Minter Ellison Lawyers, who pro bono, formalised KareyandKareful Foundation as a not for profit company limited by guarantee with full charity status. They handled all aspects, including tax exemptions and deductable gift recipient status. We are now a Registered Charity. We also have Pro Bono Auditors Bishop Collins and Bookkeepers Trace Accounting.
We continue and strengthen our relationships with all our partners and have reduced our printing and associated costs. The cost now is $25 per 5 book set of the Karey&Kareful Storybooks.
But, back to the beginning…
The story of the Karey&Kareful Storybooks is a story of successful collaboration.
It evolved from the Karey&Kareful lyric poem written by author Christopher Williams nearly 20 years ago. From 2006 to 2010, he and a team of volunteers rolled a wheelchair around New South Wales, providing donations to charities in the bush, which needed help during time of severe drought and bushfires. He had the idea of one day of writing about the entire experience and came up with the idea of “The Adventures of Karey and Kareful’.
They came to life in 2010 when he had them in starring roles when producing a documentary for Tourism NSW, designed to highlight mobility issues and tourism opportunities for 'wheelies' and others with disabilities.
His soul mate Annie has been an art teacher of kids from kindy to year 6 for over 20 years and on August 14 he shared stills from the documentary with her. She immediately related to Karey and Kareful, their travels and their story of camaraderie, looking out for a mate and helping out when one is doing it tough. It was 'love at first sight', and her talent as an illustrator brought them to life.
3 days later Annie sent Chris an image of Karey & Kareful and they knew they had something special and wonderful. The Karey&Kareful Storybooks were conceived.
Annie read the first book 'How We Met' many times to her classes when it was published in May 2021. In those classes were kids with special needs. She observed that they very quickly developed an affinity with Karey and Kareful, their disabilities and their mateship and caring for one another.
One of Chris’ old mates, and now Board Member, Senior Constable Peter Hughes, is the Central Coast Police Youth Liaison Officer. He came down to Sydney when the 1st book was launched and said, "You're not going to believe this, but I had a call last week from Chertsey Special Needs School on the Central Coast and they've asked me to introduce a Police reading programme. Could I use this book and would you come up and read it with me?" Of course, I said “YES”.
Another good mate Ian, has a son Alex, who is autistic. Chris has known Alex for many years and nearly every time he’d speak to his father, he'd ask, "How's Alex?" Getting Alex to concentrate when reading had always been a challenge, however, when Ian began reading ‘How We Met' to Alex, Ian found to his surprise that Alex enjoyed the story and the characters.
"Can you read it again Dad?", Alex asked for the first time in his life. Further, he was happy to read it with his father, and on his own, time after time - a remarkable turnaround.
These experiences related to Susie, who has been a special needs teacher for 25 years. Her first words when she starting reading 'How we Met' were, "I can see how this would be so helpful. I think this is not only fantastic for our special needs children at Cromehurst, but for school children in all primary schools as well."
We came to the realisation that if it is helpful to Alex and some other little ones with disabilities and special needs, perhaps it will be a boon for many many more with special needs. We aim, over 5 years, to make the Karey and Kareful storybooks available, free of charge, to all 200,000 special needs kids in Sydney, then New South Wales and Australia.
Firstly it was all 80 students and their teachers at Cromehurst Special Needs School in time for Christmas 2021. Next, in collaboration with the Gosford Police School Reading Program, we provided 40 students at Chertsey Special Needs School with their book sets.
Then, in March 2022, we provided, 30 book sets to the Special Needs Section at Rose Bay Secondary College. The enthusiastic response from students, teachers and parents at all schools was most gratifying and encouraging.
In September 2022 in collaboration with Gosford Police, Alex presented 20 Special Needs Students with their storybooks. Central Coast Special Needs Schools at Woy Woy (65 students) and Ettalong (35 students) received their books before Christmas.
By the end of 2023, we provided all the estimated 800 Special Needs Students on the Central Coast with their own 5 book set, making a total of 1000 Special Needs Students.
The next roll-out was an additional 2000 sets of books in 2025. And now an additional 3000 sets before year's end, a total of 6,000 sets of storybooks!
LIVE SHOWS
We premiered The Karey&Kareful KONCERT4KIDS at Cromehurst Special Needs School in northern Sydney on December 1, 2023.
In 2025 we've produced our 1st Music Video – “‘G'day G'day’: featuring founder members Karey Kangaroo and his mate Kareful Koala.
Later this year we are launching our Karey&Kareful YouTube Channel hosted by
our KareyandKareful Foundation Special Ambassador Angus Hamill. Angus has autism and hosts his own program on CoastFM in Gosford. He will introduce, from our Karey and Kareful Wombat Studio, our CELEBRITY READERS PROGRAM. Guest Celebrities will read their favourite KareyandKareful Storybook live in the KareyandKareful
Wombat Studio!
Our Reader Appreciation Forum for Neighbours, Relatives, In-Laws and Friends is being launched in late 2025.
We wish to thank the many supporters that have helped get us to where we are today and continue to support us.
IGA Supermarkets
Boston Global
Bendigo Bank
MG
JEEP
P&C Central Coast
Coast FM
ROTARY CLUB of Gosford City
KWIKKOPY
Waterline Challenge
Sunlite Mitre 10 Paddington
Minter Ellison
Bishop Collins Auditors
Trace Accounting Bookkeepers
AHA
Hospitality Legal
Lions Coogee
Lions Oatley
Clubs NSW
