A day in the life of Cara, Community Development Officer

Get to know Cara

Cara’s been at Abri since 2014, where she began her career supporting our customers through our Contact Centre, before moving into our Housing team. In November 2020, she moved into her current role as Community Development Officer, where she supports communities in Mansbridge, Southampton and Whitehill Bordon in East Hampshire.

As a Community Development Officer, Cara works with our customers, local community groups and partner organisations to help build stronger, more connected communities. Her role involves creating and delivering community projects, developing partnerships, securing funding, and supporting people to develop their ideas, lead community activities and access opportunities that improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life. She also brings services, support and opportunities directly into communities, making them more accessible and ensuring customers can access help and advice closer to home, while helping local voices to be heard and supporting communities to become more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

A day in the life of Cara - starting the day with local families

This morning, I’m heading to Café 1759, our community café in Bordon, to run a toddler session in our community space, The Room. These sessions are a great opportunity to get to know local families, build relationships and better understand the support and activities they’d like to see in their community. Supporting children, families and young people is a key priority in this area, so these conversations are incredibly valuable.

This week, we’re also welcoming the local library team to share information about activities and resources available to families, helping make support more accessible and connecting residents with opportunities they may not otherwise know about.

Alongside facilitating the session, I’ll be talking to attendees about volunteering opportunities. A big part of my role is helping residents build confidence, develop new skills and take on leadership roles within their communities, so I’m always keen to hear from anyone interested in getting involved. Before the session ends, I ask participants to complete a short feedback survey, as their ideas and suggestions help shape future activities and projects.

Bringing partners together

This afternoon, I’m attending a networking meeting at The Shed in Bordon with Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust and a range of local community groups and organisations.

These meetings are a great opportunity to share what’s happening across the area, identify opportunities to work together and make sure we’re providing the best possible support for local residents. Building strong partnerships is a big part of my role, as no single organisation can meet every community need on its own.

Measuring the impact and planning ahead

Before I finish for the day, I’ll spend some time planning upcoming activities and working on my monthly report. This involves updating our records to track which activities have been delivered, how many people attended and how many were Abri customers.

Reporting is a really important part of my role because it helps demonstrate the difference community investment can make. While numbers are useful, they only tell part of the story. The real impact often comes through personal stories and case studies that show how individuals have gained confidence, made new connections or accessed support that has had a lasting positive effect on their lives.

The highlight of my day

The highlight of my day has definitely been spending time with the families at the toddler session.

While it might look like I'm simply playing with the children, these sessions are one of the best ways for me to connect with parents and carers in a relaxed and informal setting. Conversations often happen naturally while children are playing, giving me the opportunity to learn more about life in the local area, understand the challenges families may be facing and hear their ideas for future activities and support.

Supporting our communities to thrive

We regularly work with local organisations to create opportunities that help people feel connected, supported and able to thrive. From community cafés and wellbeing activities to practical help with everyday challenges, the aim is to provide support that responds to the needs and priorities of local communities while bringing people together.

Throughout 2025/26, we created opportunities for people to connect, support one another and build stronger, more resilient neighbourhoods. Through 325 events, projects and initiatives, we engaged more than 25,000 people, strengthening community ties and giving people a sense of belonging. Across our Independent Living and Extra Care schemes, more than 14,000 people attended health and wellbeing activities which helped older people to stay active, connected and independent.

This includes initiatives such as Community Cafés, Opportunities Hubs, Good Grub Clubs and Energy-Efficient Cooking sessions, which help customers access advice, services and opportunities closer to home. They also provide practical support with the challenges many people face, while creating spaces where customers can build confidence, develop new skills and form meaningful connections with others.

By working alongside customers, community groups and local partners, we’re helping create communities where people feel supported, included and better able to thrive.