A national charity transforming the lives of people with learning disabilities. As a value-driven organisation, the people we support are always at the heart of everything we do, and this helps us transform lives.

A key member of the Communications team. A diplomatic, respected and trusted voice across the Council building positive working relationships with Councillors from all parties, senior officers, team members, and external partners. Working comfortably across all levels of the organisation. My responsibilities include:• Running the busy council press office: Taking enquiries from members of the press and working with the relevant officer, drafting statements. Managing and assisting other colleagues in their role. This regularly involves dealing with sensitive and confidential information and producing responses in a timely and efficient manner, which effectively manage the reputation of the Council. • Managing campaign work for internal and external projects, such as managing Election communications, working on Coronavirus community hub, employee engagement programme. Producing and managing communications plans and delivering content for on and offline. Working with colleagues from across the council and other organisations, managing the delivery of projects.• Writing and delivering content for the Council website and social media channels: Taking information sent in from teams or from Cabinet reports and producing engaging and relevant content for the Derby newsroom and social media. • Producing internal communications: Through our suite of products designed for colleagues and managers. Working at a fast pace to challenging deadlines to deliver the weekly and monthly bulletins.

My primary responsibilities are to develop and manage all communications to Diocesan employees and post holders (clergy, church wardens) and those who attend churches across the Diocese. This is done primarily through the Diocesan website (http://www.leicester.anglican.org) and the social media strategy (@leicestercofe and Diocese of Leicester (FB) ). Key TasksDevelop and maintain an informative, dynamic diocesan website as the primary means of communication within the Diocese, including writing copy, editing photographs, etcDeveloping Communication/digital plans for specific projects, events. Develop, maintain and grow online new media streams. Creating and managing engaging content. Manage and monitor all digital channels, implement change and plans for increasing awareness and engagement. Work with Director of Comms on press and event management. Managing and developing the Diocesan brand. Lead the creative design and production of diocesan publications. In Shape quarterly magazine (16,000 circulation - leicester.anglican.org/in-shape-magazine/ ), posters, flyers, online artwork, projects, campaigns and appeals. Using In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Fireworks. Design and creating and managing multiple other websites for projects, events with particular knowledge of wordpress platform and also html/css. Many years experience in video production. Produce videos from conception to completion. From increasing use of mobile video to full productions. Using Premiere Pro and/or Final Cut Studio. See: https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofLeicester Also developing training to teach use/creation of video.Photograph and video events projects/campaigns.
Design and collate weekly newsletter through Mailchimp database Winner of Midlands CIPR PRIDE Awards Special Recognition Gold AwardNominated for European CIPR Communications Team of the YearFinalist CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2016 Marketing Team of the Year

Responsible for design, build and running of kingrichardinleicester.com and various social media channels @KRIIILeicester.Built up twitter network from 0 to 3600 followers and #richardreburied hashtag was trending across the UK.The website got 79000 hits on Sunday 22nd and over 280000 hits in the week of the reinterment of King Richard III. Key part of Cathedral communications team that managed the press. With over 130 media organisations from across the asking for accreditation. The King Richard story appeared on the front pages of most UK broadsheets and International papers. Live C4 TV coverage and serious and significant cover across BBC and ITV, with regional broadcasts coming live from Leicester every night.Massive public engagement saw over 30000 on the streets of Leicester on the Sunday of 22 March and over 20000 visitors from across the world visiting Leicester Cathedral.Multi agency engagement and partnership working across University, city council and county council, I also sat as a member of the Events organising stream, the Marketing stream and the Communications stream and part of the Leicester Cathedral key core delivery team.Responsible for much of the design work for the project as a whole and the cathedral in particular, including designing the Service books for the reinterment services.Winner of Midlands CIPR PRIDE Awards Special Recognition Gold AwardNominated for European CIPR Communications Team of the YearFinalist CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2016 Marketing Team of the Year

I set up my own video and multimedia production company Kousins Ltd in March 2007. I have worked with some of the biggest companies in the UK, amongst others, Ernst and Young, Barclays, Prudential, Egg, Citigroup and Boots, producing, interviews, webcasts, training and promotional pieces, research editing, project and event management.Able and willing to work at anytime in any locationUtilising Final Cut Pro, Motion graphics, Soundtrack, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash and numerous other media packages using MacDesigned and built my own website www.kousins.co.uk

2003 - 2007 AV, Video and Events Manager, Internal Communications, Egg plc, DerbyI had a very varied role with the field of AV and project management, which involved dealing with all people from CEO to associates in order to deliver multiple projects and one off events.Reporting directly to Head of Internal Communications, working with the team and business in developing strategy, content and delivery of all channels. Responsible for filming, directing and editing all video work within Egg, from training, context setting, theme and fun team videos. This is all done in-house using both Final Cut Pro and Avid Express DV. Output is both onto DVD and our company intranet.Responsible for design and content of AV plasma display network designing Flash 'adverts' for internal promotions and news Run the day to day management of our AV network, liaising with external suppliers to design and manage installations of new equipment and the maintenance contracts. The biggest install to date was a 250k budget for our new office.Responsible for sound engineering any major presentations using a variety of PA equipment and have working knowledge and experience of using a variety of sound and lighting boards in our "studio" and from our in house pantomime production. Responsible for the design and project management of all the major parties within the company, managing budgets of up to 150k for summer and Christmas events for the past 3 years, managing both internal communications and external contractors on a tight budget and timeline.

During this time I was responsible for project management and planning of all "space" across 2 sites, Derby and Dudley for over 2000 people. This involved dealing with people at all levels and across all departments to manage requests for space.This required lots of travel and out of hours work to ensure successful delivery of moves

DerbyDuring this time I was an assistant manager at a popular city centre bar, responsible for staff rotas, money counting and stock taking