Yeovil, England, United Kingdom
When I was around nine years old, I confidently announced to my parents "when I grow up, I want to write wine bottle labels". Obviously, I knew absolutely nothing about wine, but I did love the gravitas with which my Grandfather would read the labels. He turned it into a performance, accompanied by subtle hints of a well-restrained smile and heady notes of hilarity from everyone else at the table. It probably wasn't flowery prose that attracted me to the idea of becoming a wine-label-writer. I think the attraction lay in being part of a moment that brings people together, providing a mechanism that people can take and interpret to create connection. While studying Creative Writing and Film at university, I built on my passion for storytelling alongside working part-time as a Community Editor for ReadWave, a social network aimed at writers. I read and commented on short stories and articles, providing a 'nudge' to increase engagement by encouraging other users to share their thoughts. After graduating, I worked for World Heart Beat Music Academy, a non-profit organisation that provides free or low cost music tuition for young people in London. I leveraged my storytelling, essay writing and research experience to write grant applications, funding reports, marketing materials and website content. In 2017, I left London to move closer to family in Bournemouth. Coming from a non-profit background, I wanted to work for a company with a similar ethos and focus on care for their customers and wider society. I joined Nationwide Building Society, initially as a Personal Banking Manager where I gained an appreciation for how important it is to find the right financial services provider for you. Later, I moved into Internal Communications where my team planned and delivered operational communications to support 10,000 frontline colleagues with the information they need to provide the best experience for Nationwide’s members. Recently, I have joined Lloyd & Whyte as an Internal Communications Executive, where I look forward to reviewing the current intranet to make it a more effective Communciations tool.