In this episode, we talk to Sally Northeast from the NHS about the comms challenges of embarking on a massive vaccination programme. We also chat to Dawn Reeves who's masterminded a new free book and resource called One Story - Councils, covid and better futures. Come to the virtual book launch on Wednesday 17th February, 4-5pm on Zoom. Register he…

In this episode, we're honoured to have a couple of NHS comms titans onboard for a chat: Ross Wigham and Jude Tipper. They're very honest about how the last few weeks have been for them, their colleagues and families. We cover why video calls are exhausting, share some lessons learned and, of course, get some top distractions from them if all this …

In this internal comms special, we talk to Kevin McDougall and Andy Macleod from Gatehouse, who surveyed practitioners worldwide on the huge impact the pandemic is having on the industry - and what the future looks like for IC. And there's a bit of business about the sorts of things we're doing that the pre-virus us would never have done! We've als…

Just what you need right now – another podcast recorded over Zoom! We were delighted to be joined by fab comms consultants Shavaun Glen and Ben Capper who share fascinating insights on how they’re coping with the Current SituationTM. There is also some advice on how to liven up that boring video conference call, and we give you some TV recommendati…

Recorded at the 2019 LGComms Academy in Manchester, we have highlights from a panel discussion on comms and mental wellbeing, featuring Jane Fordham, Leanne Ehren, Helena Hornby and our very own Darren Caveney. We also chat to comms legend Peter Holt about how the digital organisational tool Trello has helped relieve the pressure on his comms team.…

We're back! And at The Ashes! In this short and sweet episode, LGcomms chair Simon Jones tells us why we should go to this year's LGcomms Public Sector Academy event in Manchester. In the discussion, we talk about maintaining standards and how we can better engage with our communities. We also speak to change consultant Amanda Buchanan to get her p…

This episode is crammed with everything you expect from a cutting-edge comms podcast. We cover how to build a successful comms teams in quite a lot of detail, hearing from four industry leaders followed by Darren’s top tips. The fabulous Helen Reynolds shares some of her creativity secrets (*contains Bob Monkhouse*). And we finish with an impromptu…

This special episode is a snapshot of this year's Comms Unplugged, recorded on location in a field in Dorset. Adrian was ill so Darren spoke to attendees ('Unpluggers'), sponsors and the organising team of Sally Northeast, Georgia Turner and, er, Darren. Stay tuned (or not) for the last rambly bit recorded real-time in Darren's VW camper van as he …

It’s conference season so we’ve got details of two must-attend events coming up in October: Intranet Now and the LGCommunications Public Sector Academy. We also catch up with Rob Jefferson from Doncaster on ace-ing social media and how simple changes in tone and content can engage with your audience. And do listen to the very end for a nugget invol…

We get the lowdown on a brand new and comprehensive new comms resource, chat to a couple of internal comms aces about The Big Yak unconference and diversity, and round things off by hearing from a comms pro who's just taken a leap into the world of freelancing! Big thanks to Matt Nicholls (@mattypn), Rachel Miller (@AllthingsIC), Annique Simpson (@…

Welcome to Episode 4! In this episode, hear from @Jpdanon about the opportunities GDPR can create. @stuartbanbery talks us through Social Sign In and Comms2Point0's new social media guide, based on a huge study of public sector organisations. @Eleri_R lifts the lid on working flat out to bring the Commonwealth Games to Birmingham in 2022. And Darre…

Welcome to Episode 3 of Talking Comms! We chat Supercharged Social Media, catch up with a world-renowned "Yammer Evangelist", and get some thoughts from NHS comms leads on the debate about generalists vs. specialists. Please rate and review the podcast where you can, and do follow us on Twitter at @talkingcommspod, or email us at talkingcommspod@gm…

Happy New Year from The Talking Comms Podcast! In the second of our festive special podcasts, we talk wellbeing with Sally Northeast and Georgia Turner - the sizeable brains behind Comms Unplugged. 2018's event is on the 13th-15th September and you can find out more details here. Thanks for listening in 2017!…

While most of us are taking a break in the next few weeks, spare a thought for those comms pros on call, and who will have to refuse that seventh eggnog in case their phone goes off. We chat to James Morton, External Communications Manager at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. A Happy Christmas to you all!…

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Talking Comms Podcast. We hear from several Comms2Point0 UnAward winners and a bit about why the UnAwards matter. As promised, we’ve got the second half of Alex Aiken’s fascinating presentation from LGComms Academy. And we round off the year with a group discussion about what the main comms-related challenges have been i…

Welcome to the pilot episode of The Talking Comms Podcast! It is a Public Sector Communications Academy special, recorded in Leeds, 17-19 October. (Huge thanks to LGcommunications for letting us record there!) You'll hear discussions and interviews around the comms reaction to the Grenfell Tower fire, from our friends at Granicus, from government c…