Karen Spence was appointed Lambourn Community Organiser in January 2026.
The Community Organiser role follows a national model and has been created to strengthen links within the Lambourn community and across the wider Lambourn Valley. At the heart of the role is a commitment to listening to local people and ensuring that their voices shape what happens in the village. The aim is to make sure that residents are aware of the organisations, groups and services that already exist, and that they can more easily access support close to where they live, without feeling that help is distant or difficult to reach.
A central part of Karen’s work as Community Organiser is spending time in the community, listening to residents, and understanding what people feel would make the biggest difference to their lives. Rather than assuming what is needed, the role is about building relationships, hearing concerns and ideas, and identifying shared priorities. Where the community has expressed a desire for particular services or activities, Karen will work with local groups and partner organisations to help bring those services into Lambourn, or to adapt existing provision so that it better meets local needs.
Karen’s role involves bringing together practical support in response to what people say matters to them. This may include access to advice and information, health and wellbeing support, opportunities linked to jobs and skills, and activities that help reduce loneliness, increase confidence and build social connection. By working collaboratively with voluntary organisations, councils, health services and local groups, Karen helps ensure that services are shaped by the community and delivered in a way that feels relevant, welcoming and accessible.
Karen brings extensive experience from a senior career in public health and local government. She was most recently Head of Service for Public Health at Wiltshire Council, where listening to communities and addressing inequality were central to her work. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with residents, charities, councils and health services to design and deliver projects that improve people’s lives. She is experienced in building partnerships, securing funding and translating complex ideas into clear and practical services that work on the ground.
Through this role, Karen will help Lambourn remain a supportive, inclusive and connected community, where people feel heard, can access the support they want locally, and are able to play an active part in village life. The Community Organiser role has been made possible through the funding support of SNG, whose investment enables Lambourn Junction CIC to respond directly to what the community says it needs.
Karen can be contacted by email at karen.spence@lambournjunction.uk
