Karen was born in Derbyshire and moved to Blackpool when she was 4 years old. She attended Thames Road Primary School and Arnold High School for Girls.
She was an Executive Officer at Lytham Land Registry before travelling abroad for 24 years with her husband, Alderman Howard Henshaw in his banking career with Barclays and Standard Chartered Banks. They lived in Singapore, Hong Kong, Borneo, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Dubai and Qatar. When living in Singapore, Karen played the part of Eliza Dolittle in a production of "My Fair Lady" and Singapore Television invited her to join them as a Scriptwriter, Presenter and Director of a children's programme and a cultural series.
Since returning to the Fylde coast, she has been a Magistrate for 15 years, a School Governor for 10 years and a Councillor for 17 years.
She helped to raise £135,000 for King George Vth Park, £10,000 to install an exercise path and benches for Blackpool Road North Playing Fields and, as Vice Chairman of the Friends Group, helped to persuade Fylde Counci1 to replace the play area.
She has been involved with the Lytham Performing Arts Festival for 30 years and is now its Honorary President.
Karen has been a member of Inner Wheel from 1984, raising money for charities, wherever she lived. The St Annes Inner Wheel Club regularly supports the local Food bank.
In her spare time, Karen still sings with the Wedgwood Singers.