The award is recognition of Karen’s incredible work in her local area of Surrey. Karen has been instrumental in the development of the Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars programme in particular, being a part of a leadership group to develop provision. Not only this, Karen’s affiliation with the Foundation spans nearly 20 years, with her schools engaging across the breadth of Foundation Delivery throughout that time.

This is in addition to her positively influencing the lives of thousands of children and young people throughout Surrey, developing an extra-curricular club programme that boasts over 40 different activities for all ages, as well as leading the development of the ‘Daily Mile’ in primary schools throughout the county and ensuring participation in the Panathlon Challenge, providing sport for children with disabilities and special educational needs to engage in competitive sport.

The Community Captain accolade is being given to more than 100 members of the public who have made an outstanding contribution to their club and local community, as part of the Premier League’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Karen received the accolade at our state-of-the-art Cobham training ground. She received a PL30 Community Captain armband and pennant which were presented by the head of Chelsea Foundation, Simon Taylor.

He said: ‘It was an honour to invite Karen and thank her for all of her hard work and everything she has achieved throughout her career. She has been a great supporter of all we do at the Foundation and is well deserving of the Community Captain’s Award.’

Karen also commented: ‘Thank you so much for a huge surprise and wonderful morning. I have to admit I was a bit shell shocked at first, I really appreciate the amazing award and all that Chelsea FC Foundation do for us.

‘Most importantly, it has been a huge privilege and pleasure to enable such fantastic opportunities for all of our pupils in Surrey throughout the years, and seeing the group’s smiling faces that we brought along today was a great reminder about why we all do what we do.’

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: 'As we mark 30 years since the Premier League first kicked off, it is important we celebrate the unsung heroes who deliver brilliant work in their communities. These people, whether they are participants, coaches, volunteers or long-time employees, are the lifeblood of their clubs and their communities.

‘The continued success of Premier League football enables us to provide unprecedented investment in communities and wider football. As we look to the future, we are committed to investing more than ever, to help develop the game and provide opportunities to people of all ages.’

The Chelsea FC Foundation is supported with Premier League funding to run a huge range of provision in the community, with projects including Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires.