To expand my research experience (alongside my PhD) I have worked on a number of research studies. These include: Evaluating a Nature on Prescription initiative for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust; Being one of a key team of researchers exploring burnout in frontline workers during COVID-19 (CV19 Heroes Project); Creation of EmoLab, a programme of work exploring emotional labour in social sciences research. The EmoLab initiative explored lessons and reflections on managing emotional experiences of researchers and the potential impact on research during COVID-19. It also recommended a framework to aid researchers beyond the pandemic. In February 2022, I presented the study at the Qualitative Research Symposium at University of Bath. In 2024, the study was also the subject of a chapter I co-authored within the book 'The Social Science of the COVID-19 Pandemic', published by Oxford University Press.Research activities include: Data collection (developing interview schedule, liaising with participants, carrying out one-to-one interviews, focus groups); data analysis (thematic analysis); writing up analysis; contributing to final reports and peer-reviewed publications.

As a trustee at Sandford Parks Lido, I volunteer my time and expertise to support a space that I love. The Lido, by definition swimming outside surrounded by nature, plays an enormous role in maintaining my own health and wellbeing. Here I combine my skills as a communicator and psychological sciences researcher to support the Lido and help it to achieve its sustainability goals while also ensuring it is accessible and enjoyed by the community it serves.

Went back into academia September 2017 to do a Psychology Masters full time. I was awarded a distinction and began a Masters by Research course in 2019, upgrading to a PhD studentship in 2020. My PhD thesis explored how nature nurtures people during times of adversity. Using mixed methods, it investigated associations between wellbeing, resilience and nature connectedness as well as engaging with individual perceptions of what nature is and how participants feel when they interact with it.

The National Lottery generates over £30 million every single week for good cause projects the length and breadth of the UK. As The National Lottery partner for community projects, I worked with distributors to seek out and amplify compelling stories about how National Lottery funding has benefited communities both locally and nationally.One campaign I managed was '#500000ThankYous' which sought to spotlight how TNL funding makes a difference across the UK. A simple message with a simple mechanic, TNL-funded projects were asked to thank TNL players using this hashtag. TNL funding impacts all walks and corners of life, and the projects showcased were awe-inspiring; tailoring posts with their own imagery and language.

Working with Oxfam's fundraising team to develop and implement new and distinct projects to grow Oxfam’s flagship community fundraising product - Oxjam Music Festival – significantly increasing income and engaging new supporters.

Scott Farms International (SFI) is a major grower and exporter of sweet potatoes from the US to the rest of the world. I was responsible for the development and implementation of SFI marketing and communications strategies including diversification into new market sectors with SFI branded, and award winning, sweet potato crisps and, under the brand of The Sweet Potato Spirit Company, artisan spirits. I also headed up the education campaign Love Sweet Potatoes - which has a 30,000 strong membership via its online community alone - to encourage more people to learn about and love sweet potatoes. In September 2015, Love Sweet Potatoes became a primary sponsor at The Royal Botanical Gardens’ inaugural Write on Kew literary festival. I sponsored sweet potato superfan and author Ella Woodward (also known as food blogger Deliciously Ella), and ran a series of family education workshops (full to capacity) on the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes. One outcome of the sponsorship was the large amount of trade press coverage SFI received as a producer who seeks engagement with it’s consumer and values nutrition education as part of its role in the sector.In November 2015 I launched a range of artisan spirits made from sweet potatoes and its dedicated e-commerce site (www.askforanSP.com). A first for the UK, in the first month the spirits achieved coverage in Mail Online and coveted Christmas listings in OK Online and Woman & Home, with limited marketing spend. In March 2016 the range won the Best New Artisan Beverage category at the World Food Innovation Awards 2016.

The Big Lottery Fund is the largest distributor of National Lottery money to good causes. I developed and led high profile UK-wide partnership and public engagement projects and programmes including; The Big Music Project: I oversaw a £4m lottery-funded initiative to create pathways to the music industry for young people. Working with key delivery partners Global Charities (with brands such as Capital FM and Classic FM), the BPI (people behind the BRITs) and UK Youth (a UK wide youth charity), the project delivered four national 'career fair' type events, 1000's of grass roots musically motivated projects delivered by young people for young people, a stand out website to advise and assist those interested in a career in the music industry ("it's not just for performers"), an internship programme and for some additional glamour we searched for The Next BRIT thing, which involved talent uploading their music, regional heats and a finale at Indigo at the O2 during BRITs week 2015.Village SOS: both a funding award programme and a support and learning initiative to encourage rural revival and villages to come together as communities to set up social enterprises serving their area. Village SOS magazine ‘LOCAL’ was nominated as a finalist in the Marketing Week Awards 2012. I also initiated the Fund self-publishing a book entitled ‘How to create a successful community enterprise’ of which I was managing editor; securing funds, overseeing design, sourcing the author and curating real life case studies from both Lottery funded and non-Lottery funded projects. Since it set up we've helped hundreds of community projects from converting a local loo to become a tourism centre and local WIFI spot to funding a ferry to increase mobility across a very rural area.I also oversaw the Fund’s investment of The Silver Line (a helpline for older people), The Big Lunch (bringing communities together over a sandwich) and somewhere_ (for young people to find space to grow).

An award-winning agency based in the Midlands, I headed up a team of committed PRs. As senior level client contact I provided strategic direction. Clients included Birmingham City Council, Michelin Tyres and Mid-Counties Co-Operative.

Liquid is a hard working full service PR consultancy with a passion for delivering best value. I worked with both B2B and B2C clients across a variety of sectors including private and state education, health and wellbeing, fresh produce, specialist agriculture and financial services.Project examples:- Created and launched the award-winning www.lovesweetpotatoes.com campaign for US grower Scott Farms, including a complete re-brand for UK division. The campaign won the 2012 re:fresh awards Importer of the Year and the 2012 CIPR PRide Awards Integrated Communications Gold Winner- Developed and implemented communications strategies for the closure and opening of new academies including stakeholder management, crisis communications and brand development reaching web, prospectuses, school uniform, new school values, and media relations

Baptism of fire or The One Where She Had to Learn Very Quickly What a Sod-cutting Was!Hit the agency floor running and took on client accounts with Woodard Schools, Woodard Academies Trust and Kleinwort Benson. An additional highlight was securing product placement with call to action in the Daily Mail Good Health pages for newly launched and new to the market CardioRed Krill Oil.

Worked within our global corporate division, marketing risk management, insurance and specialist services across Europe B2B. Worked with business heads to develop strategic marketing and communications plans in line with business objectives to drive growth and maintain market share.- Owned and led a portfolio of projects across multiple businesses, giving consideration to the ‘so what’ and value for the business and provided leadership on commercial and strategic thinking.- Developed and implemented measurable marketing and communications strategies; questioning where the organisation is, where it wants to be and how it is going to get there, focusing on quality results. - One campaign to pilot a new insurance product to the London market resulted in 23 direct enquiries to underwriters and 40 plus broker presentations including a joint seminar with global broker Willis. Broker feedback; “This looks like the best new offering for the market for quite a while”.- Worked with business development teams to ensure correct marketing mix was being utilised and to cross-sell opportunities. One campaign leveraged existing relationships that built on previous dialogue. A peer-to-peer e-communication was released resulting in greater consistency of message to the right people. - Facilitated a series of internal marketing sessions using storytelling. These demonstrated brand value and challenged customer-facing employees to further build on the brand’s position.

Part of Zurich's global risk management division. Functional responsibility for PR, web and internal communications.- Brought PR in-house realising a reduction in costs of £35k.- Developed issues-led campaigns: One resulted in 63 press mentions, including The Times and BBC Wales.- Developed and launched new website and front-end for online reporting tool.

Assisted Marketing Manager to deliver plans. Highlights include taking on PR responsibility and ownership of websites.