Marketing and Communications Manager

• May 2021 - Present

Senior PR Manager

• Sep 2019 - Jan 2021

• Lead PR for flagship corporate partnership with The Arsenal Foundation creating and delivering powerful stories to media to create engagement with Coaching for Life – securing coverage with national broadcast and print outlets. I also provide communications and PR advice to senior stakeholders at Arsenal FC and internal colleagues and liaise with marketing teams to amplify the work of the foundation across owned channels • Support New Business team with pitches to potential corporate partnerships advising on PR tactics, creative ideas and strategy for securing PR coverage. I also advise on any risk issues and mitigation for potential risk • PR for challenging start up corporate partner working through issues with corporate partnerships team, relationship management and expectation management. Show less

Senior Press Officer

• Jul 2016 - Sep 2019

• Project manager for the production of ITV’s prime time series Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes working with production company Olga to deliver programmatic content and external communications strategy and delivery of PR for the series at broadcast. • Lead PR for; GOSH Children’s Charity 10 year corporate partnership Morgan Stanley including planning the landmark opening of Morgan Stanley House; the Charity’s Paediatric Research Comms strategy ; The Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation; and programme of Special Events • This involves creating creative strategies alongside other teams including digital, brand and the hospital comms team, identifying key messages to highlight the work of the hospital and charity • Managing a busy press office during the time of a high-profile news story, this also included crisis comms management, managing press and media crews on site and briefing of charity colleagues • Regular crisis and reputation risk assessments of fundraising activity including special events, community and corporate fundraising in a challenging environment, this includes providing recommendations to senior stakeholders • Working with patients and their families who support the communications team by sharing their story with media, this can include briefings, advising and supporting them through the process • Media briefing and training of senior members of staff at the Charity and hospital • Stakeholder relationship management and line management of Press Officer including being a sounding board, providing feedback on their work and guidance through creation of strategies • Working closely with the hospital comms team on over lapping projects, and communicating updates regularly to assess any positive or negative impact on either organisation Show less

Senior Media Officer - Queen's Young Leaders

• Nov 2015 - Jul 2016

•Media Communications lead for Comic Relief’s Queen’s Young Leader Programme which has included relationship management of high profile partners, strategy development and media delivery •Relationship management of key high profile partners including The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Buckingham Palace and High Commissions •Creating and delivering of the Media strategy for The Queen's Young Leader Programme across International, National and Regional print, broadcast and online outlets •Working with Digital and Social Media teams to create an integrated Communications strategy •Comprehensive briefing of award winners from across the Commonwealth, high profile stakeholders and journalists including the FPA •Leading on crisis management and risk documentation including International and UK issues, particularly pertinent given political sensitive Award winners are dealing with in country. •Co-ordination of media coverage across 53 countries of the Commonwealth and management of PR Consultant providing support for International PR delivery Show less

Freelance PR Consultant

• Mar 2015 - Apr 2015

Utilising my experience of working in large Press Offices I was employed by Rebecca Abigail PR to consult and advise as the boutique lifestyle agency was undergoing a period of growth. I implemented new structures for a growing PR Agency, this included writing job descriptions and staff development plans, advising on current account strategies and feedback reports for existing clients. I also put together proposals and pitching documents for new accounts and PR decks. Utilising my experience of working in large Press Offices I was employed by Rebecca Abigail PR to consult and advise as the boutique lifestyle agency was undergoing a period of growth. I implemented new structures for a growing PR Agency, this included writing job descriptions and staff development plans, advising on current account strategies and feedback reports for existing clients. I also put together proposals and pitching documents for new accounts and PR decks.

Senior Media Officer

• Jan 2015 - Mar 2015

• Media coverage secured across national print and broadcast outlets for 'Comic Relief: Operation Health, including coverage in The Mirror, Metro, Stylist, Grazia, Loose Women, Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, BBC Breakfast and BBC News Channel for high profile personalities involved in Red Nose Day 2015. Producing reactive news stories and creative content under time pressured situations to national media • Crisis Communications planning for high profile international project Operation Health • Working across media partnerships including Radio 1 and the Metro • Creating and delivering complicated messaging briefings to high profile celebrity supporters, producers and journalists • Management of Assistant Media Officer Show less

Press Officer

• Jun 2013 - Dec 2014

Lead PR for the Scottish region which has included project management of multiple high profile campaigns for Breast Cancer Care including the Scottish fashion show, Carols by Candlelight and adhoc community fundraising events. Lead PR on multi location fundraising event Pink Ribbonwalks, which has involved securing media partnerships across all 5 walks, generating coverage across print, broadcast and online media. Media briefing and training for celebrities, spokes people, external contacts and media partners and speech writing and taking part in the out of hours on call press rota. Lead PR for Electric Run UK, the UKs premiere night time 5km run launched for the first time in the UK in the spring of 2014. Feeding into new business and COY partnership pitches including The FA, Ride London and Electric Run, working with the celebrity team to develop innovative PR opportunities for these. Running Social Media accounts for FAB1 Million, engaging with fundraisers and celebrity supporters Writing, editing and over-seeing the design of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month Press Pack. Respond to reactive press enquiries concerning the work of Breast Cancer Care as well as more general breast cancer issues Show less

Senior Fundraising & Corporate PR Officer

• Feb 2012 - Jun 2013

Creating and running the press campaign for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research’s high profile fundraising event Beefy’s Great British Walk 2012, this represented challenges in many forms including the management of expectations and strong personalities, and generating coverage in national media as well as regional media across 10 different cities in the UK. The press office generated £1.6 million AVE. Management of Assistant Press Officer and Temporary Assistant Press Officer ensuring they have support and encouragement while building their experience at the beginning of their careers at LLR and in the PR industry as well as ensuring their career development is on track. Creating and implementing press plans for fundraising events ranging from sports events such as Give Blood Cancer the Red Card to musical performances for example The Night of 1000 Voices and for corporate partnership campaigns for Marks & Spencer, Wickes and Brewin Dolphin. Working closely with families who have been affected by blood cancers to create excellent case studies, press releases and therefore vital media coverage for the charity and patients. Developing and implementing the social media strategy both within the press team and for the organisation as a whole with the Social Media team, this has involved Twitter and Facebook campaign work as well as working with emerging social media platforms such as Pinterest and Google + Show less

Press Officer

• Mar 2010 - Feb 2012

Management of Junior Press Officer and Intern ensuring their career development is on track and offering support whilst they build their knowledge and experience in PR. Presenting pitches to magazine and broadcast journalists Building excellent relationships with contacts across the industry with both external and internal stakeholders The organisation of major literary festivals and conferences which include Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Youth Librarian Group Conference Creating and operating publicity campaigns for a wide variety of titles, from picture books to young adult fiction; duties include: Ensuring the best possible media coverage of Walker Books and undertaking national campaigns for allocated titles Developing excellent copy writing skills used both in press and news release documents Creating campaign plans; writing press releases; identifying publications suitable for reviewing the titles and targeting these for potential coverage Securing press, feature and interview coverage for a wide variety of titles in national and regional media (print, digital and broadcast) - I have worked on campaigns for high profile authors including Children's Laureate Anthony Browne, Polly Dunbar and Patrick Ness. Organising promotional tours for authors which includes liaising with bookshops and festivals for events and managing logistics of a tour and attending the events, both in the UK and overseas. Budget management Maintaining and developing press and media contacts to ensure increased coverage for my campaigns before and after publication. Discovering new avenues for coverage as the space in traditional media becomes smaller; this has involved particular attention to bloggers, online newspapers and digital contacts. Working on publicity for Walker Production's and Walker Licensing, two sister companies of Walker Books Developing brand packs for properties in the Walker Books and Walker Productions portfolio Show less

Press Officer

• Apr 2006 - Mar 2010

Working on the press coverage for the licence properties that RHCB holds, this has provided an opportunity to develop skills in working with big brands such as Merlin (BBC) and Ugly Betty (Channel 4)Creating a strategic plan for securing coverage and increasing the profile for a collection of debut picture book authors/illustrators and the creation of a vision for this group, Rising Stars.Managing logistics of a tour and attending the events, both in the UK and overseas.Instrumental role in the campaigns for adult cross-over titles by Andy McNab, Chris Ryan and John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas).Creating publicity campaigns for authors including Steve Cole, Mini Grey, Louise Yates and Bali Rai.Implementing and organising the filming of authors to offer websites as an alternative way to secure coverage for authors.Informal management of Publicity Assistants during the day to day running of the department as well as managing them throughout several publicity campaigns. Show less

Publicity Assistant

• Dec 2004 - Apr 2006

Responsible for the smooth running of the Publicity department administration and smaller PR campaigns; duties included: Maintaining the smooth running of the office including personnel duties, updating databases and the filing systemWrite press releases and put together mailings for titles every monthCompiling seasonal round-ups (Easter, Summer, Halloween and Christmas) for national newspapers together with a Press OfficerAssist with the organisation on launch parties, conferences and author events and attended where necessaryMedia tracking and circulation of all coverage to relevant stakeholders, internal and external Dispatch review/proof mailings for publicists Deal with general phone enquiries received by the department Show less

Campsite Courier

• Apr 2004 - Oct 2004

Courier

• Jul 2003 - Sep 2003