Staff Spotlight: Meet Karen!

Jakka Pranav Swaroop Naidu

Staff Spotlight: Meet Karen!

February 21, 2024

Introducing Karen Kingston, our Programme Coordinator in Swindon.

Karen joined Villiers Park as a Progression Coach 7 years ago and recently moved into her Programme Coordinator role in September ready to support our programmes in Swindon and Wiltshire for the 2023/24 academic year. 


Outside of work, you can find Karen spending time with her family, going out for walks with adopted dogs Ollie and Daisy and relaxing with a good book!

What does your role entail?

I’m the Programme Coordinator for the Swindon and Wiltshire team, planning the local Future Leaders Programme. I enjoy working with young people to improve their aspirations by delivering coaching sessions, skills workshops and application support.

I also provide support for the Villiers Park Early Entry Programme, which supports Year 12 and 13 students who are applying to universities or courses that have a UCAS deadline of 15 October like Oxford, Cambridge, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry courses. The programme is designed to deliver accurate information about these applications and help students to develop their applications for these competitive courses.

Collage of a bookstore event: author signing, group photo, dog in a vest, and a talk to an audience

What did you do before coming to Villiers Park?

My previous roles include Medical Underwriter and Teaching Assistant. I have also worked with students in a number of skills-building and pastoral roles during the past 18 years, and I enjoy seeing our Future Leaders find the confidence to take their next step in their academic and life plans.

What is your biggest project at the moment?

We have recently implemented a new digital platform called Launchpad so there is lots to be done to get all our Future Leaders set up on the platform.

What is your favourite part about your job?

Seeing the young people that we work with grow in confidence about their future plans and ambitions

What is a book you always will always recommend?

The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?

I would go back to the Maldives, I first visited in 2000.

Who are your 2 dream dinner party guests?

This is so difficult to only pick 2! I’d love to listen to Dame Judy Dench and Gary Barlow talk about their careers

What would your perfect weekend look like?

A weekend in Lyme Regis with my family - walks, good food and time to relax with a book.

Large group of people posing indoors in front of a wall with plants, many wearing blue lanyards

Local students gain future-ready skills through innovative AVEVA Challenge

September 16, 2026
Young people from Bedford are celebrating the completion of the AVEVA Challenge – a collaborative programme between global technology company AVEVA and social mobility charity Villiers Park – designed to equip them with vital skills for further education and future careers.
Classroom presentation with Beard and Villiers Park logos on a screen, audience seated in front.

Villiers Park and Beard Partner to Inspire Future Talent Across Swindon and Wiltshire

By Bronagh Lamy • September 9, 2026
Villiers Park and Beard are delighted to announce a new partnership that will support young people from under-represented backgrounds across Swindon and Wiltshire.
Portrait of a man in a dark suit standing before green foliage

Remembering Dr Richard Barnes

September 8, 2026
Villiers Park joins colleagues, friends and the wider education community in remembering Dr Richard Barnes and celebrating the lasting impact of his work with the charity.

Villiers Park Welcomes Three New Trustees

September 1, 2026
Villiers Park announces the appointment of Nikson Ma, Helen Slater and Hollie Smith Charles to its Board of Trustees.
Smiling woman in a pink sweater sits at a wooden table in a covered outdoor café, with a green drink.

Staff Spotlight: Eryn

August 6, 2026
After completing her degree in English Language and Literature, Eryn joined Villiers Park as a Funding and Communications Intern through our continued partnership with University of Oxford Careers Service Crankstart Programme.
Four people seated around a table displaying colorful books in a classroom.

Future Leaders turn their ideas into opportunities for others

August 4, 2026
Norwich Future Leaders bring creativity, connection and new opportunities to their school community.
Portrait of a smiling person with curly hair and glasses against a blue background

Staff Spotlight: Josie Crisp

July 22, 2026
Meet Josie, our Cambridgeshire Progression Coach! Josie joined Villiers Park in September 2024, but her connection with the charity began much earlier as a Year 12 student attending an Inspiring Excellence residential in 2018. Inspired by the experience, she has come full circle as a Villiers Park alum, now supporting young people in Cambridgeshire. Josie is passionate about helping every young person look to the future with excitement rather than fear. Outside of work, you'll find her at comedy gigs, painting by numbers, or walking her black labrador, Dougie.
Community bulletin board with handwritten notes and colorful student artwork on a wall

Creativity and Confidence Shine in Swavesey Leadership Challenge Projects

July 13, 2026
Year 9 Future Leaders use art and literacy to inspire joy and a love of reading across their school community
Four students posing beside a poster board with colorful notes in a classroom.

102 Future Leaders Inspired at Villiers Park’s Biggest Ever University of Bath Residential

July 10, 2026
In July, 102 Year 10 Future Leaders from across the country attended a three-day residential hosted at the University of Bath.
Two students in purple sweaters sitting at a table with orange flowers and a small vase before a patterned curtain

Leadership Challenge in Swindon

July 1, 2026
Leadership Challenge projects are well under way for this academic year. Here is an update on the work going on in our Swindon hub.