Profile

I am a highly-motivated, hard-working, award-winning journalist with 20 years’ experience on national newspapers. For 14 years I worked at the Sunday Express in a variety of roles, including diary editor, news reporter and latterly, senior features writer. 

As one of the lead writers on the paper’s award-winning mental health campaign (Mind’s ‘Making A Difference’ award) I was in regular contact with politicians, actors and writers to generate exclusive content and comment.

I am a campaigner for better rights for people with dementia and their carers and in 2011, 2012 and 2017 I campaigned locally in a voluntary capacity to save a dementia centre from closure.

In my PR role I devised a press strategy for the Save Netherwood Campaign as well as directing press coverage for the Central London Careers Hub.

More recently I have been freelancing at the i newspaper on news shifts as well as contributing to their features pages. I also write features regularly for the Camden New Journal. I am proficient with CMS and wordpress and have made a series of radio documentaries of women in Camden.

Work History

Freelance Journalist, i newspaper news and feature shifts; Camden New Journal feature writer March 2015-present

* skills include: excellent writing, superb telephone and face-to-face interview technique; 100WPM shorthand, research using the Internet and social media; using WordPress to upload stories with photographs and headlines; proof-reading good knowledge of media law; attention to detail and accuracy.

Central London Careers Hub (CLCH), PR consultant to the business, March 2015-present

* skills include: devising a PR strategy; monitoring and updating the CLCH social media accounts; writing press releases; contacting journalists with story ideas; researching reports to lead to stories to pitch. Other skills necessary for this role include proofreading, attention to detail and accuracy.

Sunday Express, Senior Features Writer and news writer, 2011-November 2014

* skills included: clear communication; excellent writing skills; superb telephone and face-to-face interview technique, 100WPM shorthand; research using the Internet and social media liaising with picture desk and PRs; proofreading; fast typing; audio typing; attention to detail and accuracy.

Sunday Express, Diary Editor, news and feature writer, 2000-2011

* skills included: sourcing, writing and editing stories; attending events; cultivating contacts, responsibility for a budget and for making payments to contributors. Other skills included proofreading, typing, audio typing, an attention to detail and accuracy and knowledge of media law.

Daily and Sunday Express Graduate Trainee Scheme, Sept 2000-June 2002

* Skills included flexibility as I spent three months on different desks including the Personal Finance desk, the Showbusiness desk and Diary desk among others. The ability to work in a team and to pick up information quickly and to adapt to a new working environment was essential.

Money Marketing magazine, reporter (freelance), July 2000

* skills involved: sourcing and writing stories; interviewing on the phone and face-to-face; proof reading and attending events.

BBC Radio 4, the Sony Gold award-winning Evacuation: The True Story, researcher, 1999

* skills involved: extensive telephone interviewing; sourcing information from books and putting together a research package that was passed on to the producer of the programme.

BBC Radio 4, The Influence of Effluent, lead researcher, August 1998

* skills involved: extensive telephone interviewing and research and putting together a research package to pass on to the producer of the programme.

Education

Cardiff School of Journalism, Diploma in Newspaper Journalism (NCTJ accredited), 1999-2000

Sussex University, MA in English Literature, 1997 – 1998

Warwick University, BA (Hons) English and Comparative Literature (German), 2:1, 1993-1996

Skills

I have superb organisational and time management skills and am a great team player. Flexible and able to respond quickly to new challenges, I remain calm under pressure. I have 100 WPM shorthand, a qualification in media law and am familiar with social media and its applications. I am conversant with WordPress and uploading stories with images and headlines. I have a good understanding of German and basic French. I have a good knowledge of Word, Adobe Audition and have a basic knowledge of the UX design process.

Interests

Running: I have run ten London marathons, including the April 2015 race. I have also completed three London to Brighton bike rides. In all of these events I raised funds for causes including: diabetes, neurological disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

I enjoy photography and love reading many genres, including contemporary fiction and I am a keen pianist. Film, art, musical events and theatre are also a big part of my life.

I campaign for better rights for people with dementia and their carers and have set up a charity (which is awaiting charitable status) to support people living with dementia in Camden and their carers. 

Referees

Available on request