Karen is an experienced charity professional with over 30 years in the sector, specialising in operational and executive management, sustainable marketing and fundraising programmes, corporate partnerships, and event sponsorship.
Karen worked with Special Olympics GB for 26 years, 10 years as CEO. During this time, she successfully developed and implemented sustainable strategies whilst managing key relationships and long-term corporate partnerships with companies including Coca-Cola, ABB and National Grid. Karen excels in diplomacy and negotiation, ensuring effective stakeholder retention.
Throughout her career, Karen’s roles evolved but always included fundraising, sponsorship & events, alongside Marketing & PR. She has built an extensive professional network managing relationships with long term corporate partners, secured new corporate partnerships and obtained new funding from sponsors for major events.
More recently Karen worked with start-up charity, Only A Pavement Away. She carried out prospect research, trust bid writing and managed special events including the charity’s flagship annual gala lunch. Worked with the external PR company to produce a communications strategy, managed press releases and media enquiries. She also managed the development and improvement of key marketing communications channels including website, marketing collateral and across multi-channel social media.
Karen is passionate about supporting a charity’s mission to create long-term, positive social change by empowering communities, celebrating cultural diversity, and promoting environmental sustainability.
In 2024, Karen gained a master’s degree from Bayes Business School, London, in Charity Marketing and Fundraising.
Karen’s Key Achievements include;
- Led successful government lobbying campaign securing a first-time central government grant of £2 million for Special Olympics GB.
- Negotiated long-term funding from Sport England to support Special Olympics GB’s strategic growth targets, both funding streams were the first ever of its kind for the charity.
- Led the successful delivery of the first ever in-house managed National Summer Games in 2013 in Bath for 1600 athletes and 500 volunteers in 12 sports over 5 days. The event budget was £1.3 million. This was followed by the National Summer Games in Sheffield the event saw 2,000 athletes compete in 17 sports supported by 1200 volunteers. The event budget was £1.8 million.
- Managed a nine-year Corporate Partnership with National Grid which raised £1.7 million and a 6 year Partnership with Dominos Pizza and Pennies raising £600,000. Over
- As Head of Marketing & Fundraising for Only A Pavement Away (21-23) implementing a multi-channel digital strategy significantly increasing awareness and diversifying income streams increasing funding from £70k to £700k.
Outside of work Karen enjoys swimming and latin dance classes at her local gym! She also enjoys travelling and experiencing new cultures as well as going on long walks with her husband and their dog, Tio!