Winston’s Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity and the largest provider of services to bereaved children, young people and their families in the UK.
Read the testimonial
Interim Head of Communications
Simon was asked to cover this post, initially for six months, on three days/week. This was extended for a further six months during 2009. With a small communications team the role was a mixture of hands-on responsibility for internal and external communications, combined with management and organisational responsibility as part of the senior team.
Achievements included
- Facilitated the development of a new business plan with senior managers and trustees
- Researched competitors and created a new brand positioning for the organisation
- Developed the charity’s first communications strategy
- Increased national media coverage and brand awareness
- Informally mentored the Head of Fundraising in a difficult financial climate
Renegotiated publishing contract - Improved the charity’s digital presence by setting up a Facebook group, introducing Twitter and initiating search engine optimisation
- Helped introduce a successful new flagship fundraising event
What Winston’s Wish said
Simon is a really talented thinking partner for leaders in the voluntary sector. He can quickly get leadership teams and Boards working productively on strategic solutions. His in-depth understanding of the role of communications and fundraising provides a very solid platform to explore innovative changes to service delivery and campaigning.
A day spent with Simon will be well organised and researched, capture all the talent in the room, have humanity and fun as core threads – with clear outcomes to monitor future progress.
Bernstein Associates are a sound investment for any third sector organisation wanting to strengthen high performing teams and provide a clear vision to enhance employee engagement.
Julie Stokes, OBE
Founder and Former CEO, Winston’s Wish
Executive Coach, The Preston Associates