My role
I run the Media and Communciations Team for Solace. There are three of us – the Senior Media and Communications Officer and our Communications Officer. We are also supported by a number of brilliant volunteers. Between us we are responsible for the internal and external communications for Solace. This includes Solace Space, our intranet and a number of internal newsletters, as well as our website and all social media platforms, designing leaflets, reports and working on various campaigns throughout the year. We work closely with the Business Development Team and with all services. Our aim is to raise awareness of both domestic abuse and of Solace so that more survivors can recognise signs of abuse and access our services if they need them and to promote the incredible work Solace services do both internally and externally.
A typical day
My day usually starts scanning the papers for any news items relating to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and then working with the team to write a comment on these if appropriate. Sometimes this is a simple tweet, and other time we may write a longer thought piece.
This week is International Women’s Day so we’re working on a social media campaign and I’ve been subtitling some films we have created featuring our Survivor Ambassadors. These ambassadors are all women who have been supported by Solace and now use their voices to help other women. We’ve also created a schedule of other IWD events in London which we have uploaded to Solace Space.
I have a meeting with the Business Development Director and the Head of Children and Young People’s Services about creating a short video for a funding application and I’ve shared a press release for a new service which is launching this week.
I’m also creating some comms for Mothers’ Day which we will schedule to go out at the weekend to raise awareness of how more than half of the women we support have children.
Throughout the day we get media requests in the media in-box, sometimes for a quote, sometimes for a spokesperson to be interviewed on TV. We try to respond as quickly as we can and take up the right opportunities, again, so that we can reach as many women and girls as we can.
What I love about what I do
The work is varied and creative but it is also important and meaningful. I did frontline work for nearly twenty years and so I know how important the services are and how hard they work. Working in Comms means use my writing and design skills for something that I believe in. Also, I really like the women that I work alongside, and enjoy all the supportive, thoughtful, intelligent and fun colleagues in Solace.
One thing I wish I’d known when I started out
How quickly digital media moves…we have to keep upskilling ourselves in the comms team so we can create content which is fresh and relevant. It’s exciting and it keeps our brains moving, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming.