Alex Seabrook
I have worked as a local democracy reporter for six years, in three patches. I started my career in Reading and West Berkshire, then returned to Cardiff (where I studied politics and German and a masters in journalism), and finally moved to Bristol in 2022. I write about local politics for several newspapers and websites, focusing on public interest journalism and covering the city council. Articles I’ve written have sparked an extensive clean-up project to stop a rubbish tip leaking pollution into Cardiff Bay, and a city-wide boycott of the former Bristol mayor’s press conferences. I grew up in Exeter.
Anna Caig
Anna Caig is a historical fiction author, communications consultant and marketing trainer. Her debut novel The Wise Witch of Orkney is due to be published in February 2026 hooray!
Anna’s freelance clients have included Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). She’s the former Head of Communications at Sheffield City Council and tutor on The University of Sheffield MA Journalism course.
Anna also runs a business training creative people, mainly writers, how to do their own marketing. She works with The Society of Authors, Jericho Writers and The Literary Consultancy, as well as one-to-one with many authors.
Camilla Mankabady
Camilla Mankabady is the first Strategic Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Her service area offers strategic comms, marketing and corporate affairs support to the Metro Mayor, Chief Executive, senior management team and the region’s Cabinet.
Prior to this role, Camilla spent the last six years leading Liverpool City Council’s Communications and Engagement function. During that period, she led the strategic communications for Eurovision 2023, dubbed the best event in Eurovision history.
In addition to strategic comms skills, Camilla has vast journalistic experience. 20 years spent running flagship, national TV newsrooms across both BBC News and ITV News.
Carly Davis
Carly is an award winning public sector communicator and marketer, with an interest in behaviour change campaigns. Currently the Head of External Communications at Lewisham Council, her background includes providing strategic communications advice across a range of government areas, in both the UK and Australia. A data lover with a passion for insight led, evidenced based campaigns that focus on outcomes, she is a champion of public service comms, lifting industry standards and driving comms as a skilled profession, and a science.
Claire Halliwell
Claire Halliwell is an experienced strategic communications and engagement leader with a strong track record in local government, public affairs, and cross-sector partnerships. Over the past 15 years, Claire has managed high-profile national campaigns and delivered inclusive engagement strategies on a wide range of complex issues. She is currently a senior leader at Bedford Borough Council, supporting the Chief Executive and leading on communications, community engagement and public affairs.
Dan Hare
Dan Hare is a director at Forfront; creators of the e-shot digital communications platform. With more than 25 years’ experience in digital marketing, Dan has worked to support a vast range of central and local government customers to create highly effective digital campaigns. He in an engaging presenter who teaches best practices on a range of topics including design, behaviour change and accessibility.
Dawn Carter-McDonald
Dawn Carter-McDonald became Hackney Council’s Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service in May 2024.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Dawn first started work at Hackney Council, the borough where she was born, after qualifying as a Lawyer.
Dawn has always had a connection and passion for the Borough and its residents; she chose to give her commitment to the Public Sector as she wanted her legal expertise to be used for the benefit of local residents and those most in need. As Head of Paid Service her commitment to equity, diversity, belonging and transformation continue to be key drivers to ensure fair outcomes for all residents.
Emma Gilbertson
Emma Gilbertson has worked at the London Borough of Hillingdon for 11 years, six as Head of Communications and five as Publications Editor.
Achievements include securing notable coverage for the council’s call for fairer funding to support asylum seekers, leading communications for the London borough coalition who legally challenged ULEZ expansion, and managing media at the borough’s 2019 General Election count which included the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Emma, who originally hails from Cumbria, previously worked as Communications Officer at South Lakeland District Council, and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from Cardiff University as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Queen’s University Belfast.
Georgia Turner
I’m currently geeking out on all things devolution, public affairs and LGR, having led the comms and engagement for structural change in Dorset, as well as for the launch of the new BCP Council unitary. Come and find me if you fancy advice or just a chat. It’s a fascinating time to be in local government, whether you’re in the midst of LGR or not. I spent over 25 years leading council communications teams, including as Director of Communications, before setting up as a consultant in 2022. As well as LGR work, I support councils to create narratives and communications strategies, provide a range of workshop-style training (with usable outputs, not just theory!), act as a critical friend via audits and reviews, and offer capacity support for specific projects you need a hand with. Drop me a line at georgiaturnercommunications@gmail.com or see www.georgiaturnercommunications.co.uk for more.
Helena Hornby
With 20+ years’ experience in the public sector across local and national government, and transport, Helena is an award winning communicator and former member of the LGcomms executive committee. She has led national campaigns, driven citizen engagement, built thriving teams, and is proud to be an advocate for professional development. Now through her role with Orlo, Helena helps public sector comms teams make the most of digital tools to deliver great comms that have impactful outcomes for their communities.
Helen Reynolds
Hel Reynolds is an award-winning communications creativity expert, and founder of Comms Creatives, which she runs with her sister, Lesley. Each year, she trains hundreds of comms pros from, helping them unleash their creativity through fun, practical online courses.
She’s also the voice behind the popular Big Yellow Newsletter – a weekly burst of comms inspiration that lands in over 10,000 inboxes – and the doodler behind those comms cartoons you’ve probably seen on LinkedIn.
Based in Wales, usually accompanied by a coffee and a cat, Hel ‘s mission is to ‘unboring’ the comms world, one idea at a time.
Jeni Harvey
Jeni is Director of Marketing and Communications at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and vice-chair of LGComms.
With more than two decades’ experience across communications, marketing and journalism, Jeni started her career on newspapers in Greater Manchester, before then moving to the Yorkshire Post where she spent five years as a senior reporter.
Since making the transition into Communications a decade ago, Jeni has worked in strategic leadership roles across the full spectrum of public sector organisations, including councils, policing and regional Government.
She has also led PR and journalism courses at the University of Sheffield, and is currently a Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) trainer with the BBC.
- Inclusive – reaching 95% of the target audience.
- Always saving – reducing cost per quality engagement.
- Nothing without data – demonstrably measurable and applying ongoing optimisation.
Jonathan Carr-West
Jonathan Carr-West (Chief Executive): Dr. Jonathan Carr-West is an established national expert on local government. He has worked with leaders of all parties in district, county, and unitary councils and has provided strategic facilitation to leaders and chief executives in the West Midlands, Kent, and East Anglia. He has also worked at a senior level with ministers, officials, and elected mayors, as well as providing strategic counsel to local authorities around the world.
Louis O’Halloran
Louis O’Halloran is a public affairs adviser with a focus on infrastructure, net zero, and devolution. A Politics and Modern History graduate from the University of Manchester, he leads Inflect’s work on infrastructure, energy, and place-based policy.
Based in Manchester, Louis supports clients in engaging with mayoral combined authorities and local government, with a particular interest in how power and policy are shifting across England. His work often involves helping organisations understand and respond to regional growth priorities and the devolved policy agenda.
Before joining Inflect, Louis worked in Westminster and in the planning sector. He is co-policy lead for Labour in Communications Devolution and Local Government Policy Group, and is a member of the CIPR Public Affairs Committee.
Mandy Pearse
Mandy Pearse, FCIPR, FCIM is a PR consultant, speaker, researcher and trainer. She is a former CIPR President, European Council member of the Global Alliance for PR and Communications (GA), LGA consultant and a former Council Head of Communications. Mandy runs the largest benchmark survey of public sector communications and a benchmarking and best practice group. She regularly judges national and international awards and speaks at international conferences such as the GA Venice Summit. She is co-author with Anne Gregory of the forthcoming 6th edition of Planning and Managing Campaigns: A strategic approach.
Matt Nicholls
Matt Nicholls is Head of Communications Improvement and Support at the Local Government Association. He established the LGA’s communications improvement offer in 2015, which provides direct support to around 50 councils every year, including peer reviews and crisis communications. He was previously the LGA’s Head of News and also Interim Head of Communications at Rochdale Council. Prior to this he worked in communications at one of the UK’s largest trade unions and started his career as a local journalist.
Neelum Bains
Nicola Chalmers
Nicola has been in Local Government communications for almost 20 years, starting her career as Children’s Services Communications Officer at Birmingham City Council, leaving there as Corporate Communications Manager. She spent several years at Cheshire East Council in a senior communications and engagement role before settling back in her hometown of Manchester as the Council’s Internal Communications Manager. Nicola is passionate about internal communications and working for Manchester – helping employees be seen and heard. She enjoys building relationships with services, staff networks and senior leaders to help connect people and projects. She says internal communications isn’t without its challenges, but she loves it!
Peter Elliott
Peter is the Head of Communications and Engagement at Somerset Council, one of the country’s newest unitary authorities. A former journalist and news editor, Peter has worked in local government comms for more than a decade across media relations, digital, campaigns and major projects. Peter was previously the Head of Comms at Somerset County Council, leading the One Somerset campaign for a single council in Somerset, and guiding the team through the reorganisation process which followed.
Raju Miah
Raju leads strategic internal comms across Hounslow Council’s Resident Services change programme. He is the former Deputy Head of Internal Communications & Engagement with the Metropolitan Police Service and was previously Assistant Head of Engagement & Information at the Cabinet Office. Raju has also worked with the National Crime Agency and Tower Hamlets Council. He is a chartered PR practitioner.
Rishi Shori
Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Strategy, Insight and Governance
Rishi Shori has worked at BCC for 6 years and was previously Director of Intervention Response and formerly acting Deputy Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council.
He is a qualified solicitor and has previously held senior leadership roles at Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Local Government Association. Rishi oversees the new Strategy, Insight and Governance Directorate which brings together a collection of functions including Law and Governance, Strategic Partnerships, Public Participation, Communications, Corporate Performance, the CPMO, and the Insight Policy & Strategy Division.
Collectively these functions encompass the brain, eyes, ears, and voice of the organisation, helping the Council make the best decisions to improve outcomes for our citizens.
The Directorate has led upon the development of the Council’s new Corporate Plan and Improvement and Recovery Plan and manages the Council’s response to the current intervention.
Ruby Bhattal MBA FCIM Chartered Marketer
Ruby has over three decades of professional experience spanning both public and private sectors, Ruby brings a wealth of expertise to her work. After more than twenty years in Local Government—primarily serving as Head of Communications and Marketing—she transitioned to her current role as Deputy Director for Reputation and Brand at the University of Nottingham.
Ruby is deeply committed to continuous learning and personal growth. As a qualified coach, she finds fulfilment in sharing her expertise and insights to help others unlock their full potential through coaching and mentoring.
You can find out more and connect with Ruby at www.rubybhattalcoaching.com.
Shayoni Lynn FCIPR FPRCA
Shayoni Lynn is CEO and Founder of multi-award-winning behavioural science and counter-misinformation communications consultancy, Lynn Group – a UK top 50 agency (Provoke SABRE Awards, 2025).
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and is Chair of PRCA Cymru.
Shayoni is listed in the PRWeek Power Book (2021-Present) – the definitive list of the most influential and respected communications professionals in the UK. In 2025, she featured on three specialist lists – Top 25 most influential women in UK PR, Top 10 PR leaders outside of London, and Diversity, equity, and inclusion champion (as co-founder of Asian Communications Network).
Shayoni is a member of PRCA’s PR and Communications Board, founding panel member of CIPR’s Behavioural Insights Panel, member of CIPR’s ESG Expert Panel, and member of ICCO’s Misinformation Taskforce, together with Council of Europe, The Trust Project, EACD, GWPR and EUPRERA.
Simon Jones
Simon Jones is the Executive Director of Communications at Westco and has worked at Director-level in the public sector for 15 years. He started as the Head of Communications at Hammersmith & Fulham (‘H&F) Council in 2007, progressing to become the Director of Communications, Policy, and Strategy. He also served as the Director of Communications for Haringey Council, overseeing the development of a new brand identity for the Council. Simon leads on Westco’s communications improvement work which has seen him deployed in interim roles at the London Borough of Havering, Derbyshire, Oldham, and Wakefield Councils. He led on sector-wide improvement work as the Chair of LGcomms between 2016 and 2020. He is a ‘Fellow of the PRCA’ in recognition of his contribution to PR and communications. Before entering public sector communications, Simon was an award-winning journalist and editor who has worked on regional and national newspapers in the UK and New Zealand.
Stephen Maud
Steve began his career 25 years ago as a filmmaker for the BBC, including filming in Africa for Comic Relief. He then founded Cloud9Media to tell stories that matter and support those burgeoning, ethical and sustainable organisations that need a voice. He has since delivered powerful campaigns for the WHO, Justice for Windrush, and clients such as Penguin, Marriott International, British Airways, and local authorities including Hammersmith & Fulham.
Steve’s inventive storytelling, passion for people and unwavering creative vision drive every project. A long-time Shepherds Bush resident, he’s also a keen music composer and instrumentalist.
Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council
Tony was born and raised in Bristol and joined the Green Party in 2008. He has represented the Southville Ward as a local Councillor since 2021.
Appointed as Leader of the Council on 21 May 2024, he is the political figurehead of Bristol City Council and represents the interests of the council at a community, regional, national, and international level.
He has a comprehensive working background in IT consultancy, data analytics, and business, delivering large scale projects for multiple organisations and specific interest and expertise in local government finances, housing, and urban planning.
Tony comes from a working class background and grew up in a deprived area of the City, giving him a valuable insight into understanding the importance of ensuring nobody gets left behind.
As a Councillor, Tony chaired the Councils Overview & Scrutiny Management Board, sat on the Housing Management Board and the Local Plan Working Group.
Will Godfrey
Will has served as Chief Executive in three authorities, most recently with Bath & North East Somerset Council since October 2019. Will’s background is in finance, regeneration and change management with a clear focus on generating outcomes to improve the lives of people across a diverse range of communities.