I've been a professional writer and editor since 2001, starting in women's and teen magazines and moving into the third sector in 2008.
I now create and consult on a huge variety of written content, online and off.
Clients include UNICEF, WWF, Blood Cancer UK, London Business School, British Red Cross, Lumos, Save the Children, Parkinson's UK, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Peer Power, Freedom from Torture, Girl Effect Mobile (Hey Springster), We Can Win, Barnardo's and agencies Neo, Aitch, More Onion, Forward Action, Consider and RawLDN.
What are you working on? Get in touch and let’s chat about how I can help.
What I offer
I don’t have a set-in-stone list of services because I like to stay flexible – I’m curious about what you want to achieve – there’s probably more than one way to get there. Maybe you need ad-hoc support over many months, an intense burst of editing or messaging development, or just an hour to look over a particular piece of creative together.
To give you an idea of what I’ve done before, I work mainly with non-profit, community interest and international development clients, often to
create or refresh messaging or develop brand tone of voice
devise website content plans and support migrations, reviewing content along the way
write marketing emails, fundraising brochures, articles, listicles or quizzes
edit in-depth reports
run writing training sessions
But I’ve also written about wedding venues, banking apps and aviation software, so if your thing isn’t on that list, do get in touch anyway.
(Oh, and you can read my policy on AI here.)
My backstory…
Growing up, I loved to write and draw. As a teen I studied visual arts but came back to words via a degree in Art History and Philosophy.
My first job in magazines, in 2001, was as Editorial assistant on a magazine called REAL (one of the first fortnightly women’s magazines). I worked my way up to writer and had the privilege of meeting and interviewing some incredible women and writing their real life stories.
I later joined CosmoGIRL! and interviewed some truly amazing young people, too. While working with this dream team on all things teen, I had my first children's novel published (with Piccadilly Press). I also worked with the Teenage Cancer Trust, who then asked me to write for their magazine when I went freelance, which helped inspire my move into the charity sector...
It was goodbye cover lines and free lip gloss, hello digital donate banners, fundraising flyers and stories from the field. I found my copywriting feet as I discovered 'USPs', 'CTAs' and techniques for engaging audiences with ever-dwindling 'dwell-time'. I delved more deeply into the dos and don’ts of brand tone of voice and learned to apply behavioural principles to improve click and conversion rates.
Through all this, I grew my understanding of how stories can create human connections across barriers and different contexts.
I went freelance for the second time in 2016. Now, I get to use all this experience to help connect people to different ideas and causes.
Flash CV
2021 Interim communications manager Peer Power
2019 Interim communications manager Lumos
2016 Editorial manager Save the Children
2008 Freelance features writer/editor (Look, Prima, Sugar, More, Top Santé)
2007 Features editor CosmoGIRL!
2004 Features writer REAL
2000 UCL graduate BA Philosophy and the History of Art