C.V.
Public Sector / Private Sector
My time with disability niche product supplier Promove UK was another where I was proud to be involved in a very small way in supporting the late Dr Huw Thomas's vision for making disabled peoples lives easier. His Promove Sling did just that and I spent three years helping to promote the product, designing a social media strategy, creating new platforms, and designed & wrote much of the content of a new website.
And now Accessibility Matters, where my role as an Accessibility Adviser gives me a chance to work in sectors like the rail & bus sector and accessible tourism and in a number of volunteering roles in addition to paid projects.New Paragraph
DWP / Jobcentre Plus, Promove UK, Accessibility Matters
DWP Jobcentre Plus, a 35 year career with the 'enemy' as some like to call it. Not me, I was proud to be part of teams that didn't care about politics but did care about helping people get back into work. My career for 17 years was centred around senior leadership roles in frontline operational commands, leading 500-1200 staff. I was also lucky to get to help work on some national policy development around front line disability awareness, a cracking five year spell in marketing and IT automation, and was privileged to lead the development of a back to work programme for long term unemployed & people with disabilities in parts of the NW. Intense, hard graft with brilliant, committed colleagues who made a difference to many lives. my experience of leadership in this giant govt dept was one of delivering almost impossible projects, coping with politics & pressure and a staff cohort who simply wanted to help.
Social Media & Website Content Mgt
After taking what I like to call 'very' early retirement I spent a year learning to cook....ish....and quickly found myself using many years experience of communications mgt to start a new part of my working life in Social Media & Website Content Mgt.
I am not a tech. HTML is just a bunch of letters to me but I can and do wander between the basis tech of the social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin, and the real thing I enjoy so much, 'content' design, development, integration with platforms and the website and watching an audience grow as a result.
I content managed five twitter and five Facebook pages and three linked accounts for others. I designed and written over 20,000 words of content for two large websites in the private and voluntary sector. I love social. Its fascinating, lively, influential & way more positive than it is negative. But best of all is designing & delivering an integrated approach between social media, website & wider company comms. I did some or most of this in paid capacity & as a lead volunteer in four very different charities.
Volunteering
I have been able to spend 18 months with the Big Help Project supporting the design & delivery of a new website and had my eyes opened up to the fact that a frightening number of people in our society still struggle to feed themselves & their family without help.
Leading on the content development of a new website for Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey Liverpool and re starting & significantly growing their social media presence was a privilege. The work of 'Mac House' can be hard and emotionally draining. But the way this independent charity, that must raise all its own funds, supports families at one of the most challenging times of their lives is just awe inspiring.
Chairing our local Patient Participation Group (PPG) at the local surgery has allowed me to get involved in primary care for the first time. I sit on the local Health Forum and get to play a little part in helping to ensure the Patient Voice is heard. And....during Covid-19's wicked six months in 2020 I have been shocked at just how much our Good Neighbours WA5 group has been needed by so many elderly & vulnerable people in our community, often living alone & very hard hit by shielding, lockdown & the general impact of the pandemic. I and my wonderful wife acquired new skills as wholesale fruit and veg buyers ! Alongside comms and planning work behind the scenes. Eye opening stuff and another brilliant team of volunteers to work with and learn from....
In all this its been quite strange that I almost forgot to mention 15 years as co founder of the Everton Disabled Supporters Association (EDSA) at a time when disabled supporter groups were almost unheard of, EDSA led the way in giving a voice to the urgent need for massively improved facilities. We worked on stadium access and the accessibility of Away match travel and ticketing facilities. When my work in DWP took me into areas of innovative pre employment training design and delivery and a few other things you are not told about in the citation....I was lucky enough to be awarded the OBE. Prince Charles handed over the medal at Buckingham House, where the access was ok actually and I was very well looked after by my allocated Footman !
Volunteering and learning new ways of working
I have been volunteering for twenty years now and am really lucky to have been able to do so with an incredible bunch of charities, local and national.
Macmillan Cancer Support has given me a chance to do some strategy, operational, comms, quality assurance & volunteer engagement work that reflects my career experience and has been incredibly satisfying. Macmillan inspires at every turn. Its volunteers are amazing people and the impact on the lives of people living with cancer is incredible.
Similarly I have been able to make a contribution as a Trustee of Warrington Disability Partnership for five years. One of the largest charities in the NW the difference made by this team is incredible and I loved being part of their comms / social media and strategy group, including time spent looking at process mgt & team working.