Experience

• 

  Viridian Nutrition

  • Northamptonshire

  • Communications and PR Manager

    • Sep 2016 - Present
    • Northamptonshire

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  Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

  • PR Executive

    • Mar 2015 - Aug 2016

    • Regularly secured media coverage for Chamber members on the national news including the BBC 6pm and 10pm News as well as for the Chamber organisation on a regional and local basis. • Social media: Growth of Northamptonshire Chamber’s social media platforms nearly doubling the number of followers/likes in a two-and-half year period.• Launched and managed a campaign to promote the launch of the new app for the Chamber’s inbusiness magazine.• Wrote engaging content to support the planning and delivery of marketing activities, events and campaigns for multiple channels eg Chamber Product Campaigns, Business Exhibition (designed content plan for stakeholders).

• 

  Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce

  • Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

  • PR Executive

    • Sep 2014 - Apr 2015
    • Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

    • Appointed specifically to be responsible for PR and digital content (web, social media) for Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce. • Editor of the NEW 'inbusiness' magazine - Milton Keynes Chamber's FREE business-to-business printed and digital magazine which is distributed to in excess of 1,500 key business contacts and decision makers. The bi-monthly publication was launched in November 2014 and promotes news and initiatives about its chamber members with no additional cost to them for editorial. Please email editorial/newsworthy stories for consideration to: [email protected].• Promoting the chamber’s services and products via social media and by providing marketing and copywriting support. • Raising the profile of its members and helping them to maximise their company exposure through the chamber’s communication channels.• Report writing: Board reports, providing a summary (as well as the media release) for the Quarterly Economic Report. Twitter: @ChamberMKWeb: www.chambermk.co.uk

• 

  Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

  • Northampton

  • PR executive (maternity cover)

    • Sep 2013 - Sep 2014
    • Northampton

    Responsible for the PR and digital content for both Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and its sister chamber, Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce (before separation into two PR roles).Duties included:• Responsibility for the social media and news content for the websites of both chambers.• Press officer for both chambers (promoting awareness of the organisations and its activities, responding to media inquiries, providing columns and blogs for publications and websites.)• Editor of In Business, a 32-page bi-monthly magazine. (Northamptonshire Chamber only) • Raising the profile of members from both chambers: -putting them forward for national and local media opportunities – interviews and case studies -advising them of best chamber communication channels -face-to-face meetings via regular chamber activities: members receptions.• Marketing the chambers' services and products: - Presenting media opportunities available to chamber members in a video case study. (Northamptonshire Chamber only) - Conceiving and planning the idea for a short video to promote the new apps. (Both chambers)• Report writing: annual review, board reports and providing a summary of the Quarterly Economic Surveys (QES) - Chambers' own independent business survey. (Both chambers) Twitter: @NorthantsCoC, @ChamberMKWebsites: www.northants-chamber.co.uk, www.chambermk.co.ukPlease visit LinkedIn's desktop site to see the multi-media content that has been added.

• 

  Self-employed

  • Freelance writer, journalist, and PR consultant

    • Jul 2012 - Sep 2013

    Previous and current work as a multi-media journalist has included: • Writing news and feature articles for Extra Newspapers• PR for the International Academy for Investigative Psychology• Reviews for MumStreet.co.uk• PR for Northamptonshire County Toy Library, - securing newspaper and web coverage as well as radio slots to promote the service, creating a website and managing the facebook page

• 

  Johnston Press

  • Education Editor

    • 2006 - Jun 2012

    Responsible for Term-time, a weekly education supplement for the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, which ensured positive coverage of schools and organisations in the education sector as well as reports on industry trends. My work involved providing all content from writing and generating news articles and features, to sourcing columnists and organising the front page. Its success was largely built from my relationship with teaching professionals and my excellent organisational skills and resulted in the supplement being well received in schools.2007: Shortlisted for CIPR Education Journalist of the Year Award for the Term-time publication.2009: Established the Chronicle & Echo’s first ever education awards. I was instrumental in forming a strategy to ensure maximum impact of the event in the school community. I also covered a variety of areas on the event management side as well as editorially from sourcing judges to writing the script and proofreading web copy and other external communications by the events team.2012: Following the success of the education awards I instigated an additional category supported by both the public and private sector. The event was the most successful to date.

  • Education Reporter

    • 2003 - 2006

    Covering breaking news, analysis of Government data, writing articles on one of the country's largest schools PFI projects, creating video content for the web as well as co-ordinating and managing the supplements for the annual GCSE and 'A' level results for 25+ schools and colleges.

  • Reporter

    • Nov 1999 - 2003

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  Essex County Newspapers

  • Junior Reporter

    • Mar 1999 - Nov 1999