Communications and engagement is an essential part of any council’s operations. Here, communications and engagement professional Michelle Gant, explains how she can support members through the Talent Bank.
Tell us about yourself and your specialism:
For the last six years, I have run a communications and engagement company, designing and delivering meaningful and impactful communications and engagement strategies.
Aside from the day job, my other big passion is publishing books for charity. These books are collaborative in nature, featuring many different voices and raise funds for NHS Charities and Women’s Aid, with one in the pipeline for the NSPCC.
Tell us what you can provide potential clients as an associate on EELGA’s Talent Bank:
I have seen first-hand how powerful it is when we engage people – because when we do things together, we can do things better.
I take a focused and targeted approach to communications and engagement, depending on the needs and priorities of the different people we want to connect with. In doing so, we can reach more people.
Communications and engagement can influence positive change by ensuring key messages are communicated and reach the right people. In doing so, you gain invaluable insights and shape decision making, creating robust and meaningful connections with people.
I’m also a qualified coach and mentor, and one of the areas I focus on is maternity coaching – empowering and supporting women during pregnancy, ahead of their return to work, and beyond.
Tell us about any significant challenges relating to your specialism and how you can overcome them:
While it is not a challenge as such, it is important that engagement is accessible and different methods of communication are used depending on the organisations’ objectives. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to engagement.
Tell us where you have come from and what has led you to be part of EELGA’s Talent Bank:
My background is in communications and engagement, and I have over 20 years’ experience working in this area. Before running my own company, I was the Director of Engagement for a not-for-profit housing provider, responsible for both staff and customer engagement. Over the last two decades, I’ve worked in-house and within consultancies for a range of organisations operating mainly in the public sector and in the not-for-profit housing sector.