James Blanchard Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

York, England, United Kingdom

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Led communications work on a project changing the way that mental health patients may be restrained, including work engaging patients' groupsProduced a conference for patient participation representatives Produced training materials and given training on how to give webinars for patient engagementProduced a stakeholder workshop and stakeholder briefings around the announcement that certain patients will be able to obtain cannabis-based medicines, and produced reports for senior managers on policy developments and public affairs activities carried out by stakeholders in this areaManaged media and internal communications announcements about the launch of four new Mother & Baby Units for women with perinatal mental health conditionsManaged several webpages and a Sharepoint area for the team, and produced a style guide for webpages and Sharepoint areas across the directorateManaged media enquiries to the Specialised Commissioning communications team, and the team's email inbox

Project Management: Led the co-ordination of stakeholder engagement and communications across the Midlands & East and then the North regions, including leading work piloting ways to give Clinical Commissioning Groups additional support with engagement. Produced videos showcasing the benefits of GP Online services for patients with long-term conditions, and worked with external stakeholders to promote these.Stakeholder Engagement: Managed relationships with regional communications teams, and led a campaign to keep key stakeholders informed of the work of the Primary Care Digital Transformation teamCommunications: Produced toolkits for GP practices and CCGs to promote GP Online services to their patientsTraining: Produced training materials and provided training for GP staff, Patient Participation Groups and patient representative groups on how to recruit patients to use and the best way to use GP Online servicesInternal Communication: Led a campaign encouraging staff working for NHS bodies to sign up for GP Online servicesSocial Media & Internet: Managed Twitter account and several web pages. Managed an online workspace used by the entire team and other colleagues. Contributed to work in piloting additional support in digital engagement

West Yorkshire

Media Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work to improve the Trust’s and hospitals’ reputations. Communications: Produced internal and external email bulletinsStakeholder Engagement: Contributed to consultation process around proposed closure of the local hospital A&E unit and redevelopment of the remaining hospital site.Social Media & Internet: Managed transfer to new website and intranet site, including writing content and SEO. Managed social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter.

Willerby, East Yorkshire

Management: Acted as Manager of Communications Department two days a week and during Manager's during other absencesMedia Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work to improve the Trust’s and hospitals’ reputations. Prepared colleagues for radio and television interviewsCrisis Communications: Prepared communications strategy and briefings for high profile case reviewsInternal Communication: Produced staff magazines and email bulletinsEvents: Produced and marketed Continuous Professional Development events for 300 GPs, which were then successfully re-commissionedMarketing: Produced marketing collateral for mental health and substance abuse servicesSocial Media & Internet: Managed website, internal intranet site, campaign microsites and blogs, including writing content and SEO. Managed social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Produced films for Vimeo and Youtube

Yorkshire

Media Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work to improve the Trust’s and hospitals’ reputations. Advised board members on media and for radio and television interviewsCrisis Communications: Prepared communications strategy and briefings for industrial action and potential hospital closuresInternal Communication: Produced staff magazines and email bulletinsSocial Media & Internet: Managed website, intranet and blogs, including writing content and SEO.

Almondbury Ward

Campaign Management: Built and managed a volunteer campaign team to fight elections at council, national and European levels; part of a team that produced and implemented a manifesto for local service provisionFinance: member of Audit Committee, overseeing an annual budget of close to £1billionMedia Relations: Managed relationship with local newspapers and radio stationTraining: Provided campaigns training for local members and activistsProject Management: Chaired internal campaign committee planning election campaignsDirect Marketing: Produced printed campaign materialsInternet & Social Media: Managed campaign microsites and blogs, including content and SEO; Managed social media profiles for colleagues and my group of councillors; Produced email newsletters for local supporters

Manchester

• Media Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work for clients. Planned and evaluated media and communications strategies, briefed client’s board members for radio and television interviews• Stakeholder Engagement: Shaped the policy agenda by targeting communication and building relationships with political stakeholders including MPs, senior councillors and environmental groups, with a target of obtaining planning permissions for clients• Event Production: Managed information days delivering information on planning applications to the local communities most affected• Project Management: Managed a successful supporter mobilisation campaign for client

Yorkshire

• Clients have included the NHS, Environment Agency, Sheffield City Council and the Yes To Fair Votes campaign, with major assignments covered below

Bradford, United Kingdom

• Media Relations: Contributed to work of press office, include on-call rota dealing with service outages and leaks. Planned and evaluated media and communications strategies, appeared in radio and television interviews• Stakeholder Engagement: Shaped the policy agenda by targeting communication and building relationships with political stakeholders including government ministers, MPs, senior councillors and environmental groups• Event Production: Managed stakeholder visits to Yorkshire Water sites, planning and strategy for sponsorship of the cultural festival around the Tour de France • Project Management: Managed Yorkshire Water’s contribution to flood recovery work in the upper Calder valley, worked with partner organisations to manage the refurbishment of a jointly-owned water main Calderdale

Leeds

Media Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work, prepared colleagues for television and radio interviewsCrisis Communications: Dealt with media coverage during and immediately after serious flood eventsCampaign Management: Produced and implemented the Yorkshire & North East region's part of the national Flood Awareness Month campaign.Stakeholder Engagement: worked with 13 local authorities across the YNE region and the National Flood Forum to partner with the Environment Agency during the Flood Awareness Month. Worked with local action groups in York and Calderdale following flooding.Social Media & Internet: Managed webpages and social media

Sheffield

Campaign Management: Communications Lead for a project dealing with the transformation of Adult Social Care, ran a consultation of service users and fed results into projectStakeholder Engagement: Built relationships with service users and representative groupsCommunications: Produced internal and external email bulletinsMedia Relations: Managed media enquiries and delivered proactive media work around the project

Glossop

• Strategy: Planned and evaluated media and communications strategies• Media Relations: Responsible for all media relations for the organisation; Produced press releases and articles for external publications; handled relationships with journalists and publications • Training: Advised individual organisations on local media relations; coached colleagues in preparing for media interviews• Radio/Television: Appeared in radio and television interviews• Internal Communications: Wrote for and oversaw production of a range of internal email publications• Direct Marketing: Developed and oversaw production and distribution of printed marketing material• Event Production: Assisted in the delivery of an annual two-day conference, one-day seminars and other meetings• Internet: Managed the organisation’s social network and website, overseeing a fivefold increase in monthly page impressions; Produced and distributed email publications• Fundraising: Managed the charitable wing of the organisation; Ran major fundraising campaign from corporate donors

London

• Campaigns: Provided training, advice and organisation for groups across the country to take part in campaigns and interact with local media• Event Production: Managed delivery of conferences, members’ meetings and other events, including ‘People & Politics Day’ – an event for 3,000 schoolchildren; sourced sponsorship for key events• Training: Briefed participants for radio, television and print interviews• Budget Management: Managed budgets for individual events and campaigns• Internal Communications: Produced campaign and events magazines, and electronic newsletters• Project Management: Ran a consultation exercise of other campaign organisations; Oversaw the transformation of Charter 88 into a member organisation and eventual merger with another organisation by running consultation events and elections; Worked with partner organisations on campaigns of common interest• Direct Marketing: Developed and oversaw production and distribution of marketing material• Media Relations: Planned and evaluated media and communications strategies, Produced press releases and briefings• Radio/Television: Appeared in radio and television interviews• Public Affairs: Lobbied MPs, Lords and councillors on campaigns• Internet: Managed the organisation’s social network website; Wrote for and produced email publications• Fundraising: Ran fundraising campaigns from members, corporate and statutory donors• Management: Mentored interns as part of a rolling internship programme

London

London

• Management: Managed and recruited a team of full-time staff, volunteers and interns• Campaigns: Provided training, advice and organisation for youth groups across the country to take part in campaigns and interact with local media• Training: Provided training and advice for student groups and individual activists• Direct Marketing: Produced, printed and distributed recruitment and campaign materials• Project Management: Organised recruitment campaigns in universities and schools• Internal Communications: Oversaw the production members’ magazine and email newsletter• Event Production: Organised and ran conferences, fringe meetings and residential training weekends• Internet: Managed the website and produced a forum for members to communicate with each other• Fundraising: Ran membership fundraising campaigns to fund future campaign work

Cipr Advanced Certificate, Public Relations, Merit

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Computer Science

Activities and Societies: Part-time Student Rep: Union Council Founding Secretary: Liberal Democrat Society

Education record