Museums and More   September 2020 - current

I've been offering services supporting engagement, interpretation and learning  full-time since September 2020. Before this, I delivered freelance work alongside a part-time role from 2015.

 

You can see a client list and an overview of work here.

 

I deliver part-time, freelance work for three rural charities:

Farm Discovery Co-ordinator for The Country Trust - I recruit host farmers and arrange visits to their farms for disadvantaged children. This involves planning content and designing activities to meet the needs of each class.

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Communications Manager for the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust - I create and schedule content for social media, edit and publish podcasts, write news releases, design e-newsletters, and write and design a printed annual review.

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Administrator for the NGO Educational Trust - I help develop learning activities and co-ordinate freelance educators to deliver work on countryside management and gamekeeping at events across England and Wales.

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Digital Communications Officer   October 2024 - current

Admissions, Marketing & Communications in Independent Schools   

I work remotely, creating and scheduling content across social media platforms and event apps. At key times of the year, e.g. Annual Conference, I am present to help run events and record audio/photos/film.

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Community Engagament Officer   January 2015 - September 2020

Eling Tide Mill Experience

During a 3-year Lottery Fund-supported refurbishment project when the site was closed, I managed stakeholder relationships and delivered a programme of outreach events and engagement projects.

 

I also wrote all interpretive text, sourced/commissioned all images, commissioned conservation work on artefacts and curated all displays in both the Tide Mill and the new Visitor Centre. Visit England assessed the interpretation as 'Excellent'. 

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On reopening I developed and evaluated the public programme, and delivered much of it myself. The programme included school sessions, monthly talks, family activities, adult learning, guided tours and ETME’s Forest School. 

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Various Positions   2000 - 2014

Hampshire County Council Museums Service (now Hampshire Cultural Trust)

I held several roles during my time with the County Museums Service, ranging from Learning Development Officer for flagship living history museum Milestones in Basingstoke, to Senior Education Officer for groups of museums, to Acting Curator of Eastleigh Museum​

 

All my roles included developing and delivering programmes for visitors, including exhibitions. I wrote and/or edited interpretive text and developed hands-on activities for a number of exhibitions which toured community museums in Hampshire; I also curated or co-curated a number of them.

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Managing programmes for schools and uniformed groups meant creating activities interpreting a range of collections: military, archaeology, fine art, social history, ceramics, and more. I led on the first National Curriculum-linked audioguide for KS1 and 2 pupils, which won an Interpret Britain Award.

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I delivered object-based reminiscence in museums and across communities, as well as helping to train Hampshire County Council care home staff how to deliver this type of reminiscence.

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Interpretation Officer  January - November 2000

Wigan Pier, Greater Manchester

A temporary contract delivering engagement work with schools and families, and supporting temporary exhibitions in (Robert) Opie’s Museum of Memories.

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Education, Touring & Projects Officer   1996 - 2000

Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

Managing some of the development and all of the marketing and administration for touring productions, Nuffield Children’s Theatre and Nuffield Education Projects.

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January - September 1996 - Mortgage Co-ordinator

September 1994 - December 1995 - Mortgage Processor

Newcastle Building Society

On leaving University in 1994 I was a temp at the Newcastle Building Society’s headquarters. I was offered a permanent role in 1995 and promoted in 1996. My work was largely administrative and focussed on identifying and collating the information and documentation required to support secured loans at branches across the UK and at the NBS Bank in Gibraltar.