ROLE PLAYERS 2017 - Karen Sutton


Karen Sutton

Founder & CEO
National CSR Awards

After spending three years as a Formula One photographer, Karen Sutton set up a design agency in Brooklands, near London, UK.

Recognising the potential to encourage business relationships and to 'keep business local', she established the community initiative Business@Brooklands and the associated Brooklands CSR Forum.

The National CSR Awards initiative was born out of this local idea; but Karen's drive and enthusiasm transformed it into a National event.

Karen is passionate in support of local and global charitable activity and aspires to the day when she will be in a financial position to 'down tools' and devote 100% of her time to helping others. Her charitable activity to date includes:

Rotary: a Rotarian since 2009, Karen recently served as President (the youngest in the area) of her Rotary Club, Shepperton Aurora (D1145).

Polio Eradication: in 2010 she took part in a National Immunisation Day, vaccinating children against polio in the slums of Delhi. She self-funded her trip and raised £2,000 towards Polio Eradication.

Water sanitation: in 2014, she visited a village in Piura, Peru, where there was no running water. A sustainable water sanitation was installed, funded by her Rotary club, and now enables the village to be more self-sufficient. Karen contributed to the funding by undertaking a 300 mile cycle ride from Cork to Londonderry - this just five months after major double knee surgery, and after not having cycled for over 20 years.

Woking and Sam Beare Hospices: Karen has supported the local Hospices for the last six years, and has recently been invited to sit on their Capital Appeal Committee, which is responsible for raising £10m for their new facility opening in Woking in 2017.