Who I worked with
Ridgeline Trust, a charity providing horticultural therapy in Reading, Berkshire
The challenge
The charity had an ambitious 3-year development plan. They knew that the biggest challenge was to reach potential clients. At a strategic away day, the trustees and staff identified the need for a communications strategy to market their service more widely.
What happened?
I spent time with trustees and team members to understand the support they provide and the difference they make to people’s lives. We talked about the groups they wanted to reach and explored their motivations to connect. I also spent time in the beautiful garden to get an in-person feel for their clients’ experience.
Using all this input, I wrote a strategic communications plan, with insights and suggested actions for them to follow. I was careful to consider the charity’s very limited resources for carrying out communication activities.
The outcomes
The trustee board approved the strategy. The team are now incorporating the communication actions from the plan into their day-to-day work.
The trustees were pleased to have the report and its recommendations, it’s very helpful to have all the information assembled and presented so coherently. We are now using it to move forward with our communications to reach our audiences more effectively.