Amanda Ramsay

PERSONAL PROFILE

Campaigner, researcher, writer with excellent track record of combining media relations and public affairs, with senior level experience in charity and private sectors plus local, national and international government, including parliamentary aide to a minister. Once elected Councillor and Cabinet Member for Equalities and Social Inclusion, working life post-Uni started in the Parliamentary Press Gallery for The Times and London Evening Standard.

International experience includes working for the governments of Ontario, Canada, Bermuda, Italy and in Spain and Africa. Part of UK business delegation to Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Current projects include:

• Charity campaigning/fundraising for two children’s charities Creative Youth Network and ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence), helping those living with life limiting illnesses through St Peter’s Hospice
• Media training, with Sony-award winner David Prest and Whistledown
• Author and speaker: Pragmatic Radicalism, Labour Uncut, Left Foot Forward
• Commentator, public policy and current affairs, regular contributor to BBC
• Follow Amanda Ramsay on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/amandaramsay

Career history:

• Hawk Group: on-site logistics consultant for start-up mine in Sierra Leone (2011)
• The Health Hotel: logistics and government relations for health sector (2010)
• BBC newspaper reviewer/commentator, BBC London Radio (2004-current)
• Director of Fundraising, John Smith Memorial Trust (2003-6)
• Public affairs consultant, NHS Confederation (2003)
• Public affairs consultant, Manchester Airport Group (recess 2002)
• Cabinet Member, Equalities and Social Inclusion (2003-04)
• Councillor London Borough of Merton (2002-06)
• Parliamentary Researcher for Graham Stringer MP (2001-07)
• Government & Politics A-level teacher (maternity cover 2001)
• London Evening Standard/The Times Newspaper (1993-96)

CROSS PARTY EXPERIENCE

Used to working on a cross-party basis and have senior contacts in all three main UK political parties.

Campaigning for ERIC has meant lobbying all MPs regardless of party and while working for The Health Hotel, it was vital to deal closely with all three main parties of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour Party. Public affairs projects have included work for the NHS Confederation, Manchester Airport Group (MAG), the John Smith Memorial Trust, health and social care organisations through The Health Hotel.

Whilst a Councillor, I sat on cross-party committees and as Director of Fundraising for the John Smith Memorial Trust, sat on a cross-party board with former Defence Secretaries of State from both Labour and the Conservative Party, working with former Conservative Prime Minister John Major and Labour Peers from the House of Lords.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Camp Logistics
March – April 2011
HAWK GROUP, for African Minerals (AML) in Sierra Leone

Based in Africa, this was similar to a VSO type placement, but a paid logistics role. Brought-in to stream-line accommodation and camp logistics, researching computerisation of system over five bases across Sierra Leone, in very fast-moving, challenging working environment. Directly responsible for two members of staff and 500 units.

Parliamentary Co-ordinator
May 2009 – October 2010
THE HEALTH HOTEL, health & social care MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATION

With the aim of lobbying for public policy changes in the health and social care sectors, representing 41 UK health and social care organisations through The Health Hotel, working on a project-basis in the run-up to the annual party conferences, organising 45 events at Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative parties.

Setting-up one to one meetings with Secretary of State for Health and health ministers and Labour’s health team, for members such as Macmillan Cancer, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and trade associations, including Royal College of Surgeons and General Medical Council and corporate partners, such as Specsavers.

I also set-up the Health Hotel’s first Parliamentary reception, with hundreds of MPs/Peers in attendance and with health minister Paul Burstow as guest speaker.

Senior Sales Executive

July 2007 – March 2009
ARCHANT LIFE LONDON, PUBLISHING

Exceeding personal sales targets by over 52%, bringing in over £307K of revenue, mainly from new business, selling advertising across a unique London-wide portfolio of 13 regional titles. Networking role, hard graft and team-work critical aspect of work.

Parliamentary Aide/Researcher
Sept 2001 – June 2007
Graham Stringer MP (Manchester Blackley & Broughton), HOUSE OF COMMONS

• Parliamentary aide to minister, government whip
• Research and speech-writing on local, national and international issues; acting as main point of contact with public, key stakeholders, Whitehall and Manchester City Council departments; progressing casework, dealing with civil servants, ministers and Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) support unit, taking complex technical information, to communicate in an understandable and straight forward manner.
• Press relations: writing press releases, setting-up TV/radio interviews; briefing journalists and hosting press events.
• Campaigning: including heading-up public policy campaign for road safety, setting-up national press campaign to support Private Member’s Bill, Off Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill 2006-07, persuading and supporting father of child who died in horrific mini-moto accident to appear live on GMTV and interview in Daily Mirror.

Account Director
2000 – 2001
Bermuda Tourism, PR & Government Relations

Consultancy role, main client being Bermuda Tourism, also working for tourism department for Ontario Provincial Government, planning media strategies and heading-up PR teams in London, Milan & Frankfurt; acting as press spokesperson, with nine reports to supervise, across three countries. New business development also part of role.

PR, Advertising & Sales Manager
1998 – 2000
CITALIA (TUI TRAVEL PLC)

Working for Italian government’s state-owned specialist tour operator, attracting tourists from UK to Italy. Head-hunted from main competitor, to set-up in-house PR department; acting as first point of contact for journalist and other press office enquiries, securing and planning TV broadcast/press coverage, third party promotions, planning press trip itineraries and hosting group trips to Italy with journalists.

PR Executive
1996 – 1998
MAGIC TRAVEL GROUP (then GRANADA GROUP PLC)

International tourism role involving public relations (PR) for six worldwide holiday brands, organising detailed itineraries for press trips abroad, hosting one to Monte Carlo; co-ordinating TV shoots for travel programmes, writing press releases, organising promotional events, briefing journalists, project management of first awards ceremony for company, during World Travel Market at the Café Royal, Piccadilly.

Graduate Trainee/Political Secretary
1992 – 1996
THE TIMES (OF LONDON)/LONDON EVENING STANDARD –                          *WORKING FOR BOTH POLITICAL EDITORS

Working in Parliamentary Press Gallery and at News International office on the news desk, providing research, written, administrative support to political editors/teams of The Times and Evening Standard. Based mainly in Parliamentary offices, but worked one recess on the features desk/newsrooms, writing an exposé of dentistry charges in London, which the British Dental Association (BDA) tried, in vain, to stop being published.

EDUCATION To degree level – BSc Political Science (Honours) Plymouth University

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Elected Councillor London Borough of Merton, Cabinet member for Equality and Social Inclusion (2002-06). Leadership Academy graduate from Local Government Improvement and Development, recognized by ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management), the UK’s leading awarding body for leadership and management.