I met Sarah at the newly formed Women's Networking Group at the Tavistock Enterprise Hub. She has very quickly established herself as a generous font of knowledge, experience and insight. A fairly recent convert to the freelancing world, Sarah has moved to the South West after years of living and working in London and the South East. She specialises in the not for profit sector (charities and social enterprises).
Why did you become a freelance communications and PR consultant?
I love working for organisations committed to people and communities. Having worked in communications and PR in the non profit sector for twenty years, I realised that I had transferrable skills that could definitely be applied to organisations in the South West.
Where do you work?
I work from home but cover Devon and the South West, with some clients nationally and even internationally.
How much training is involved, what qualifications do you need to become a PR and communications specialist?
Writing skills are essential, and a strategic mind set is definitely an asset. I think you can either learn by the qualification route, or through experience. Communications and PR are a skill, a discipline in their own right and it's very easy to get it wrong. Organisations, even small ones, are increasingly realising that communications sits at the heart of their success – so it’s also a big responsibility to get it right on their behalf.
How long have you been in this kind of role?
I started out as a sales and marketing assistant for a small publisher, then I moved on to a role at Centrepoint (youth homelessness charity) where things really came alive for me. Marketing for an organisation that directly benefits the lives of vulnerable people makes it all meaningful. While I was there, I learned the art of how to tell the story to galvanise support - I loved helping to tell our young peoples' stories to people who wanted to help them, including celebrities and very powerful individuals. After a stint with a youth organisation in Australia, I came back to London and worked with the Local Authority in Southwark. It was in the period when Damilola Taylor was tragically murdered. We were trying to turn the Aylesbury Estate around and it was very hard work, but fascinating. From there I went on to work with the British Red Cross, where I Iead emergency response communications including during the 7/7 London bombings. Most recently I was head of Communications at Plymouth Community Homes, and it was a privilege to help this new organisation make such a difference for the city.
Who else works with you?
I collaborate with Giuseppe Baggiani, a colleague and local consultant on digital marketing elements of projects - Insight Communications.
What is involved in being a communications consultant? How does your day usually unfold?
There is no such thing as a typical day!
What would you say to someone thinking of this as a career?
Make every effort to understand what organisations are about, where you want to be and don't see PR as a bubble. Get your fundamental skills, but always think about where you want to apply them and what kind of organisation you want to work for.
What is the best thing about your job?
Seeing that you're making a difference for the people you've worked with. Understanding the vision and needs of an organisation and helping them achieve it.
What is the best thing about working here on the edge of Dartmoor?
It's a much more diverse community than some might expect, but what binds everybody together is a real sense of community. When you put that sense of community against the stunning backdrop of Dartmoor, it's hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else!
What do you think of the Women’s Networking Group?
It breaks the mould of traditional networks and appeals because it's made up of real women who aren't afraid to tell the real story. We're all from very different businesses, interests and experiences, but I see it as a really creative and inspiring hub of professional energy that people might not always know is there. We're women who are serious about progressing our own businesses and opportunities for Tavistock.
To join the Tavistock Area Women’s Networking Group contact Rhiannon via www.tavistockenterprisehub.co.uk