IT
REAL
GOOD

Here are a few samples of my work (well, five). I haven’t gone overboard, because I think these – and this actual website – should give you a good idea of whether I can write or not.

Also, it’s a real bugger getting hold of finished creatives after a project has ended (note to reader: please send your writer – whoever it is – finished creatives after they’ve worked so diligently on them).

Of course, if you do want to see more samples, drop me a line.

FREE GUACAMOLE

Did that headline get your attention? Good. If you’re wondering whether I write wordy things that are different from my samples, the answer is yes. Have a look at my Do you do this sort of thing? page. It lists all of the comms I write.

PS There’s no free guacamole.

WWF

Enter the Wonderful World
of Fundraising

THE BRIEF

Write a totally original book that’s bursting with fundraising ideas, talks about the importance of WWF’s work and compels the reader to devour every last word.

WHAT I DID
  • Scoured the internet and other fundraising guides for the absolute best fundraising ideas known to man.
  • Devised a nifty format for the book that gives an overview of each fundraising idea, and then shows how it can be done in three different ways (easy, moderate and tricksy) to raise three different amounts.
  • Wrote copy for over 120 fundraising ideas that’s fun, engaging and makes you want to pull on a panda suit and do something amazing. Honest.
  • In between all the ideas I incorporated hard-hitting facts about the growing threats to animals and people around the world, as well as lots of practical stuff that people need to bear in mind to be a star fundraiser.
  • Created a competition (spot the pandas hidden in the book) to capture email addresses and get readers to explore every nook and cranny of the guide.
THE RESULT

The best fundraising guide available from any charity. It’s gone down a storm with WWF supporters and is really helping them to maximise their fundraising.

Enter the Wonderful World of Fundraising

THE COMFORT FACTORY

Website, email promos and
online articles for a new
furniture company

THE BRIEF

Write website copy and promo comms that bring to life the quality of The Comfort Factory’s furniture and its friendly, northern customer service.

WHAT I DID
  • Established a tone of voice for the company’s comms and a super handy copy pyramid (brand messaging that explains who the company is in one sentence, two sentences, a paragraph and two paragraphs).
  • Worked with the client to identify the pages needed to sell the story of The Comfort Factory and its products. I also mapped out how long copy would be to help the designer do his thing.
  • Wrote tonnes of copy about the company’s proud heritage, production process and top-notch furniture. This involved weaving in all of the brand messaging I had developed and plenty of SEO phrases.
  • Backed up the launch of the new website with some attention-grabbing press releases and articles for websites often visited by The Comfort Factory’s target audiences.
  • Developed an e-campaign that achieved a better than expected open and click-through rate.
THE RESULT

The Comfort Factory is reporting strong sales in a competitive market. They also now have the wordy tools they need to speak confidently and in an engaging way to their audiences.

Visit thecomfortfactory.co.uk

The Children’s Society

Christmas fundraising pack telling the story of a young runaway

THE BRIEF

Create a direct mail appeal pack that focuses on runaways at Christmas and shows how supporting the work of The Children’s Society could help these young people receive the specialist support they need.

WHAT I DID
  • Read a lot of information about The Children’s Society’s services for young runaways and the stories of children and young people who use them.
  • Presented to the client three different ways the story of Freya (our case study) could be told.
  • Worked closely with the pack’s designer on how copy and visuals could work together to engage the reader and make a lot of information easy to digest.
  • Wrote a letter from Ruth, the coordinator of a service for runaways. It reveals in detail the abuse Freya suffered before she ran away and the specialist support Ruth provided to turn her life around.
  • Wrote many other elements for the pack which encourage the reader to give a donation to The Children’s Society to help runaway children and young people at Christmas and throughout the year.
THE RESULT

A delighted client. The pack performed much better than expected. The response rate was 12.23% (the target was 10.5%), and the total income was £106,796 (the target was £89,345).

Take a look at the fundraising pack

The London Helicopter

Website and promo comms for major London tourist attraction

THE BRIEF

Write copy that sells the thrill of a helicopter ride over London to tourists and people who live in the capital.

WHAT I DID
  • Considered key messages and USPs identified by the client and then selected which ones should be pushed the hardest on the website, given the company’s target audiences.
  • Wrote copy that sells the unique nature of a ride with The London Helicopter and the amazing sights people will see when they’re more than 1,000 feet in the air.
  • To back up the launch of the new website, wrote adverts and press releases that were more inspiring than that speech by that kid in The Goonies. You know the one (if you’re around 40). This one.
  • Oh, and I also wrote lots of lovely words for an online competition. The first prize was a helicopter ride over London. I didn’t win.
THE RESULT

The London Helicopter company is still in business. Hurrah! More and more people are enjoying amazing trips over London. Whoop-whoop! And its website is rather nice to read. Three cheers!

Visit thelondonhelicopter.com

Blind Veterans UK

Annual report, impact report and newsletters

THE BRIEF

Write key communications for the charity that bring to life its services, the people who provide them and the blind and vision-impaired ex-Servicemen and women who benefit from them.

WHAT I DID
  • Analysed previous comms from the charity to see what was and what wasn’t working.
  • Recommended that the charity speaks in a friendlier and clearer voice to help supporters understand how Blind Veterans UK turns their donations and fundraising into life-changing services for veterans.
  • Edited raw content for the annual report, impact report and newsletters so they have much more energy and can be easily digested by a reader (lots of lovely plain English and short, snappy sentences).
  • Wrote case studies which put a strong focus on the type of support a blind veteran receives and the difference it makes to their life. Previously, the charity focused too much on a veteran’s service history.
  • Peppered the communications with lots of eye-catching headlines, stats and quotes. Just what’s needed to draw the reader in and make sure they pick up important info.
THE RESULT

Blind Veterans UK has now got some top-notch comms that are perfect for recruiting new supporters and showing current supporters why they’re continuing support is so important to the charity and its veterans.

View Blind Veterans UK’s latest reports