I came across a great word reading an article recently. 'Talkoo'. It's Finnish, and means 'working together, collectively, for a specific good'. For those who ask me what a hack is, this is a good way of putting it, and pretty much sums up how #HelpTheHospice went.
Using real stories to talk about hospice care
A guest blog post from Frances Fox, Strategic Communications Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support
Talking about death, dying and bereavement is perhaps not what most of us would choose to discuss on any given day, but it’s important to try and make sure people feel comfortable discussing it and their wishes for the end of their life – this is one of the many things a hospice may aim to do.
Creative innovation and a hack: an event to help a charity in Durham raise their profile
I am really excited to be running a creative hack on 22 February next year for a local charity up here in County Durham. I’ve run a few hacks in my time and really like the energy, the chance it gives people to innovate and take risks, the opportunity to work with and definitely learn from different people, and, most importantly, the chance to collaborate for good.
Northern Power Women - podcasts, awards and inspiration
Northern Power Women is a collaborative campaign to accelerate gender diversity from the North of England. It was founded by Simone Roche, and has spawned awards, networking, events and now podcasts. I was at their latest podcast recording at Sage in Newcastle, the sixth so far in a series of debates on a wide range of topics.
And the winner is ... my top 10 tips for crisis management
A lesson from Iceland
How to make the most of networking events and expos
Circus performer or counsellor?
I subscribe to a number of blogs, news sites and email newsletters, and spend my free time when not working reading through as many of them as I can.
In one of these publications, they regularly have an article where someone in the PR/comms industry talks about their job, being asked a series of questions, including 'If you’re good at this job you might also be well-suited to?'. An all too common response to this question is 'Professional juggler or plate spinner'.
Where does the North start and the South end?
The Northern Powerhouse is an oft-used term, even if it has taken a back seat since George Osborne has left government. The Northern Powerhouse website says that it is about "boosting the local economy by investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture" and "devolving significant powers and budgets ... to ensure decisions in the North are made by the North".
How to be sociable - my top ten tips for charities on social media
Last week I had the pleasure of a trip up the Northumberland coast and a visit to Whitley Bay to run a social media workshop for a charity.
The charity's northern arm use Twitter and Facebook, supported by their London team, but wanted some more confidence, ideas and inspiration to properly take advantage of the channels.