On Demand PR

On Demand PR currently represents these clients:

Cherwell Software - IT Service Management Software (Full service agency)
Southwark Council - Local Authority (Stakeholder Communications capacity)

On Demand PR role: PR Management - full service agency with a focus on editorial opportunities, event management and writing case studies.

Cherwell Service Management™ is a fully integrated ITSM solution for internal IT and external customer service desk support. It has a unique development platform which is 100% configurable, enabling customers to easily modify the system to meet their business needs. Cherwell offers one price for all 11 ITSM modules and provides various options to purchase and deploy. (The competition charges by module and has limited options).

Cherwell's entry into the ITSM niche market in 2008 took the industry by storm, has consistently won new business from its major (and much larger) rivals, and in 2010 leading industry analyst Forrester cited Cherwell as being 'an emerging leader of ITSM solutions'.

Cherwell Software has headquarters in Colorado Springs, USA with European Offices in Swindon, and was founded and is managed by a team of industry experts.

I am truly delighted to be working with Tony Probert, European Managing Director at Cherwell as I had wanted to work with him since working for one of his help desk software competitors in 1996. Tony instinctively knows how to grow a successful company (five times) and surrounds himself with specifically skilled and effective people who constantly deliver to his high standard of expectations.

It is a huge compliment that he sought me out and offered the Communications role.

On Demand PR role: Stakeholder communications manager

Southwark Council is in South East London and has approximately 320,000 citizens, 70% of which were born in Southwark. The average age group is 25 to 44, with an almost equal male to female ratio. The Council returned to a Labour majority in the 2010 General Election.

In August 2007 Southwark Council's Leisure and Sports division required a Communications Manager to lead on the stakeholder, customer and residents consultation relating to the £12.3 million refurbishment investment into three leisure centres. Initially a five-month contract (concluding in December 2007) this was renewed, on a part-time basis in May 2008 to present. In 2010 a new project for a four-week consultation for the Elephant and Castle leisure centre was required, which I was requested to project manage and implement from 8 August to 31 October 2010.

Responsibilities - on going

To identify and meet with stakeholders, local residents and users of the three leisure centres to be refurbished during 2008-11, to disseminate information on the Investing in Leisure Programme and gain buy-in to proposed ideas
Provide on-going strategy and implementation of communication plans; public consultations (managing through to final analysis reports), maintaining customer contact and response to enquiries, preparing photographic content for exhibition displays, planning and implementing the zone phased re-opening centre launches.
Build relationships and liaise between Cabinet members, ward councillors, programme team, internal corporate communications, suppliers, resident groups, the general public and other interested external parties.

Achievements

Project managed two public consultations, including direct mail campaign to 41,000 residents and customers; analysed the results and presented to Southwark Council Cabinet members, stakeholders, residents, customers and the programme team.
At the local community event for the reopening of the pool at Camberwell Leisure Centre on 12 March 2011 I secured local comedienne Jo Brand to swim with London's only synchronised swimming display team Out To Swim Angels. This was widely reported on in the local press and televised for part of a Jo Brand series in the autumn of 2011.