2023 ambassadors

Steve has a decade of experience leading communications for not-for-profit organisations and joined GSA in 2022. At Citizen he led an award-winning transformation of the communications function, the organisation’s rebrand from WM Housing and its establishment as a trusted voice in the sector.

Steve previously led communications at the housing sector’s professional body, the Chartered Institute of Housing, where he served as the organisation’s chief speechwriter and devised the Make a Stand campaign – a pledge to support people affected by domestic abuse which has since been signed by 400 housing associations across the UK.

He is a thought leader in communications and has delivered keynote sessions at the Inside Housing Communications Conference and Institute of Internal Communications Conference. He is a judge for the UK Housing Awards, the Housing Heroes Awards and the Internal Communication and Engagement Awards.

Steve is a former news editor and worked on newspapers across the West Midlands and Warwickshire for four years before moving into communications and PR. In his spare time Steve enjoys sport, theatre and is a semi-professional voice artist.

Comms Hero has grown into a lively and friendly community of professionals. As communications professionals we so often deal with the same challenges, regardless of the sector we work in, and finding opportunities to share this burden and learn from one another is extremely valuable. It’s this kind of collaboration and learning that Comms Hero enables and supports, and it is my honour to be an ambassador and help to grow this excellent work.

Josephine Graham is a CIPR qualified and accredited marketing and communications professional working at Bradford Council.

Professional learning and connection are hugely important to me – they help me keep on top of my game and they bring joy and friendship into work. I have a huge affection for CommsHero, being based in my home town of Leeds, and I love the combination of positivity and professionalism that the team bring to everything they do. Agreeing to be a CommsHero ambassador was a no-brainer for me and I’m looking forward to working with a team of amazing peers to help shape this year’s agenda.

Sara Thornhurst Chart.PR is a disabled PR practitioner and trainer who ran her own agency for several years. She has been speaking out about disability in PR since 2016 and has run workshops on disability inclusion, accessibility and diversity issues at multiple industry events, and is an experienced public speaker and activist. She offers PR consultancy with an EDI focus and runs regular training sessions and workshops for agencies and PR events to help them overcome issues around ableism, and employing and retaining disabled talent. She is also the Chair of the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire CIPR Committee and a member of the CIPR’s Diversity Inclusion Network.

Aside from the fact it’s a home-grown phenomenon and I’m super proud it’s in Leeds? Comms Hero is real gem as far as the PR and comms community goes. It’s supportive, inclusive and offers brilliant learning opportunities from all the many niches and areas of communication. Comms Hero is a committed cheerleader of all things comms and I’ve learned so much being involved in the annual #CommsHero conference and I’m honoured and excited play a small part in shaping the coming year.

Ruqaiyah is a public sector Marketing and Communications professional with seven years experience in NHS communications. She decided the #CommsHero life was for her after completing work experience in a Communications Team at just 15 years-old.

A first-class Advertising and Marketing graduate from Lancaster University Management School, Ruqaiyah has a keen interest in social media and new digital communications, but also enjoys the ‘old school’ joy of seeing her press releases, interviews and features published in print media. She loves facing new creative tasks and being pushed to use her initiative to find new ways of sharing important messaging and keeping a captive audience through brand image, reputation and design.

Having worked within mental health, acute, community and specialist NHS services, as well as NHS charities, she has a broad understanding of the health sector and is a self-proclaimed ‘NHS geek’. She also has a keen interest in increasing the diversity of the Marketing and Communications industry, particularly in the public sector, as is a champion of the work of women from ethnic minority backgrounds in the field.

As #CommsHeroes, so much of our role is behind the scenes, highlighting the achievements and singing the praises of our colleagues and the organisations we work for. The #CommsHero movement is a way to shine a light on the work we do, provide a network for us to support and share ideas, and spread positive vibes – why wouldn’t I want to be involved in something as special as that? I am very proud to be a #CommsHero ambassador, and can’t wait to see what new, exciting experiences this opportunity will bring!

Lisa’s a public sector comms pro who has recently returned to local government after a couple of years in a membership organisation. Contrary to rumours she had no insight into the upcoming pandemic when she jumped ship in 2019. Currently working as Communications and Performance Manager for Perth and Kinross Council in Scotland and blogs book reviews on the side.

I self-fund my CPD learning and often it’s the cost of travel and accommodation (and time away from family) on top of the ticket price that makes attending in-person conferences prohibitive. The reimagining of CommsHero day into a week prompted by the pandemic was perfect for me. And, the range of speakers and topics – all soaked in the genuine affection for the world of comms that CommsHero embodies – meant the ticket was the best learning investment I ever made. As CommsHero Week now moves into a hybrid model I’m excited to play a part in supporting what this unsurpassed week of learning looks like in 2023.