My Story
My Story
“Good communication is all about actively listening to people and telling a good story…”
Who am I?
I’m a communications professional, PR consultant, certified coach and crowdfunding expert. I have twenty years of experience in the charity and fundraising sector and specialise in consumer media and real-life case study work. Essentially, I like to help good people do good things!
What makes me unique is the fact that I’m not only experienced in dealing with the media, I’m also a qualified therapist – so I’m trained to deal with sensitive situations and vulnerable people as well as crisis management comms. If you’re looking for a compassionate communicator who can deal with all stakeholder needs, I might be the right person for you.
I am proud to have managed the PR for some of the most successful and high-profile fundraising appeals in the country, in recent times, that have helped support disaster appeals, raised awareness of emergency health campaigns and even saved lives.
One of my personal highlights, must be securing two front page splashes for a fundraising campaign which allowed a dying woman to visit the Vatican and be blessed by The Pope.
I also coordinated a Royal press visit with the Queen during my time at the Royal Academy of Arts and more recently worked on the Justice 4 Harry campaign which resulted in a US media campaign and the Dunn family meeting with the President of the United States at the White House.
Other notable campaigns include Jo Cox’s Fund; the Medical Funds for the Tate Modern Gallery tragedy; the huge cancer appeals for #EsmeLionheart #Donate4Mike, #Give4Greg & #Lisa’s Army and the navy diver Saman Gunan (who died rescuing school children in a flooded cave in Thailand.)
I am also extremely proud to have been at the forefront of the fundraising efforts for the emergency appeals for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Manchester Arena and the London Bridge and Westminster terror attacks.
During the pandemic, I focused on the humanitarian response efforts for COVID-19 helping optimise the major crowdfunding health campaigns created for the NHS and the most vulnerable in society and most recently have been supporting the fundraising for the Ukraine Relief Efforts.
Jane is the founder and MD of Eggleton Communications Ltd – a ‘For Good’ Media and Communications Company and the founder and MD of the Wisdom Room – an integrated holistic therapy practice. She has also been the lead national PR consultant for JustGiving and GoFundMe – the world’s largest fundraising crowdfunding platform.
Some of my Front Page Splashes…
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I decided I wanted to change the world and do good things. So armed with a degree in English, Media and cultural studies, a willing writer’s heart, an open mind and a sense of adventure, I set off into the great unknown.
A strong sense of social consciousness and a humanitarian work ethic meant that I opted to stay true to myself and only work for causes and campaigns I really believed in within the charity sector. But believe it or not, it was a chance encounter with a lost religious icon, which I turned into a front-page splash, that wetted my appetite for working with the media!
My father had been entrusted to return the priceless relic to a monastery in Greece which I thought was a great yarn and so did my local paper!
My connection with priceless antiquities and cultural pursuits didn’t stop there though as I was lucky enough to run the press departments for two wonderfully celebrated not-for-profit arts organisations – the Royal Academy of Arts and Cheltenham Arts Festivals.
From the festival portfolio, I particularly enjoyed working on the Cheltenham Literature Festival (the largest and longest running literature festival in the world) where I worked with and met some of the most engaging and influential writers, artists and politicians of our times.
Moving to the RA, I was equally privileged to manage the PR for the prestigious Summer Exhibition and the blockbuster exhibition China: The Three Emperors which was opened by the Queen and the President of China and involved liaising with the Palace Press Office, the Chinese Embassy and the Foreign Office as well as organising a press trip to Beijing and a large-scale press view for over 400 journalists.
Although I enjoyed my time working in the arts, I felt a calling to move fully into the charity sector, and was lucky enough to manage the communications for the, much-loved, homeless charity Crisis, followed by the National Young Volunteers Service – Vinspired.
During my time in these roles I managed a range of high profile charity events including Crisis Open Christmas (the largest volunteer-led charity activation in the country); Changing Lives (a nation-wide film project with homeless people) and the Vinspired National Awards at the Indig02 (a prestigious ceremony honouring the achievements of the country’s youth).
As well as managing both charity’s press departments and these high-profile events, I also enjoyed recording the stories of the people I met, both in the written word and film.
Over the years, I interviewed and worked with thousands of people from all walks of life and was often fascinated and humbled by their remarkable stories of resilience and self-discovery. I realised that much of my work seemed to gravitate towards helping people find their voice and, therefore, it seemed a natural progression for me to undertake training in the counselling services.
So, in 2011, I embarked on a three-year course to train as an integrated therapist, (incorporating CBT / NLP and coaching). I am also a registered member of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council and am bound by their Code of Ethics. As a professional therapist, my aim is to see people regain their sense of wellbeing, quickly, safely and in a sustainable, independent manner.
After qualifying, I started a contract as a senior advisor in the amazing Patient Liaison and Press Campaigns Team at Cancer Research UK writing and filming the stories of cancer survivors. During this time I worked on some wonderful high-profile campaigns including: Stand Up To Cancer, Race for Life, London Marathon, Plain Packaging, Trading, Corporate Partnerships and Brand development.
I have also worked in a freelance capacity for the London-based consumer agency Rooster PR to support the team with their growing causes and campaigns portfolio including the British Deaf Association; the medical research charity RAFT and the hugely successful global online fundraising platforms GoFundMe and JustGiving.
I am now the founder of my own two companies and undertake freelance work helping high profile crowdfunding appeals succeed and mentoring private clients.