Trying to connect with communities that are hard to reach? Want to ensure you're communications are engaging with those from deprived areas?
In this CLIP session at Wrexham FC, we'll learn about the innovative ways that other organisations have used to get the least active people in Wales moving and how they've overcome barriers in order to reach those in their target audience.
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." - Henry Ford
Communicating with different audiences means thinking outside the box and adjusting your approach to ensure you can reach and engage with certain demographics in a way that suits them.
About this session
This session will share experiences and learning of communicating with people from rural areas, Welsh-speaking people and those from a low socio-economic communities.
Speakers and panellists confirmed:
Gareth Power - Carmarthenshire Active Sport and Leisure
Following 16 years working in the sports sector, Gareth has amassed a wealth of experience both in the field of sports development and as a coach developer and tutor. Having worked in a variety of roles with Cardiff Council, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Welsh Athletics, Gareth currently works as an Actif Communities Coordinator for Carmarthenshire Council where he heads up numerous projects that aim to tackle health inequalities through sport and physical activity.
One such project was ‘Beat the Street’, an innovative initiative that sought to transform an entire town into a giant game. He is looking forward to sharing what he learnt through delivering this project and how he and his team were able to connect and engage with their community on such a large scale.
Casia Wiliam - Freelance content creator
A bilingual freelance writer, writing and editing copy, leading marketing drives, and prepare content for socials. Casia has worked at S4C, a media officer at Oxfam Cymru, an External Relations Manager across Wales for the Disasters Emergency Committee, and more recently a Community Comms Officer for GwyrddNi, a Climate Action Organisation in Gwynedd. In these roles Casia has learned the importance of tailoring messages for the audience, and ensuring communication is crystal clear.
She will be sharing with you many of the lessons she has learned along the way, especially in relation to the Welsh language, and bilingual content.
Paul Batcup - Sport Wales
Paul Batcup has worked in the marketing, communications and digital space for 20 years, across organisations including Swansea Bay University Health Board, University of Wales Trinity St David and RCT Council. Progressing from a public relations brief, he is now Digital Programme Lead at Sport Wales and responsible for developing the organisation’s digital service roadmap and various online-based projects.
His previous experience includes leading reactive PR for high profile patients of the NHS, working on a marketing campaign to encourage housing tenants to vote to transfer council housing to a new non-for-profit organisation, and founding the Sport Wales CLIP programme.
Paul’s areas of specialism include user research and consultation for better comms outputs, and problem-first v solution-first thinking.
His claim to fame is that he’s so old he used to fax out his press releases!
Amira Assami - EYST
Amira works as the Right to Education Project Development Lead for EYST - Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team Wales - supporting BME people living in Wales. She is also EYST’s Marketing and Communication Officer. Prior to that, Amira worked for many years in community engagement in a professional and voluntary capacity and volunteered in community organising.
From here experience in engaging with diverse communities across Wales and specifically with those who are considered as “hard to reach”, Amira has developed an in depth understanding of the different approaches in communication which should be used to engage and connect with different communities. As much as it might sound complicated, it is much simpler than you think.
Eleri Roberts - RNLI
Eleri has been a member of the RNLI's communications team for over 13 years. Part of a team of two who lead and support the charity's communications in Wales, the North West of England and the Isle of Man, she has worked on several campaigns with high profile stories regionally and nationally.
Her main responsibility is to lead a team of over 50 press volunteers (Lifeboat Press Officers) who are based at lifeboat stations across the coast. She has extensive experience of connecting and developing a strong relationship with her team in the communities in order to share messages and protect the reputation of the charity across all communities.
In 2022-23 she took a sabbatical from the RNLI to take advantage of the maternity post of Urdd Gobaith Cymru's Publications and Communications Manager. During this period, Eleri led the press work of the organisation's main campaigns including the Urdd Eisteddfod 2023 Carmarthenshire, the Urdd Anti-Racism Peace Message, and the press work during the second half of the organisation's centenary year.
