Passionate Blog

Latest Press Gazette article and guest blog posts

LINDA'S piece on why journalists shouldn't accept 'kill-fees' was published by Press Gazette recently - a definite case of 'do as I say, not as I do.'

Staffordshire writer Suzie Harris also featured advice from Linda on her blog all about the freelance life, under the heading: How to do your own PR: Four steps to building your writing brand. Phew a bit of a mouthful there Jones. Still, it appears to have gone down well, with Suzie declaring it "inavaluable to any writer."

Training with the:101 - a Passionate new recruit

the:101 provides a range of courses for PR professionals. Passionate Media director Linda Jones has become one of the latest trainers on the team.

You can check out who the other trainers are here and here.

As you can see, Linda is in some auspicious company! [Carol]

Coffee with a corporate twist

CAROL'S latest networking initiative is full of beans!

Wings – Women’s Independent Networking Groups – which is run by Passionate Media's Carol Garrington - is inviting people to catch-up over a coffee at its new Espresso Exchange sessions.

These will be informal get-togethers for business women across the Black Country and Staffordshire, giving them the chance to meet and network over a drink in a café or bar.

The Passionate Media Christmas do - Oh yes it is!

WE are counting the hours to our Christmas 'do' this year...Oh yes we are!

On Saturday we are going to see the wonderful John Barrowman in panto as Aladdin at Birmingham's Hippodrome theatre.

Our husbands, partners and children are coming along too, and we can't wait.

Whatever celebrations you have lined up for the festive season, please can we take this opportunity once again to wish all our clients, suppliers, contacts and friends, a peaceful and happy Christmas.

See you all next year, I'm off to dream of Captain Jack*. In tights.

*Okay so it's not that Captain Jack as one of our sons thought- but we can live with that! [Katie]

Heartfelt thanks to those who have bought my book

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has spent their hard earned cash on my book, or been so kind about it in reviews.

It's on the 'bestselling' list (number three behind Andrew Crofts and another one) on Amazon for freelance writing and second only to gardening (in front of sex) in The Greatest Tips series, on Amazon at least.

Book launch photos

SEE here for a fuller report about our recent book launch.

Double trouble on Central News

HERE'S Linda on Central News tonight talking about encouraging individuality in twins. The link is to the whole of the programme, and the report featuring Linda starts at around six minutes in.

The news team got in touch as they wanted an expert commentator on multiple birth issues after a mum took her 11-year-old boys out of school rather than let them be separated for 20 minutes.

Linda was keen to stress she would never want to be portrayed as criticising another mum's decision as every family is different, but in general, it's a good idea to separate twins.

This is the latest TV appearance for Linda, who has also been interviewed about twins and more by the BBC and Sky, as well as being on Central twice before.

We think she did great but she says the diet's obviously not so good. [Carol]

Passionate on the move

THE Passionate team literally stopped traffic the other day, as we had photos taken for our own press release - in the middle of the road! The lorry driver didn't look impressed as he sat waiting for the wind to die down so our hair wasn't blowing in our faces for the shot.

Thanks to Jim at Gingersnaps Photography for putting up with five vain women!

Linda's now regretting using the whole bottle of fake tan beforehand, but we had to get the word out about our move and recent successes.

Read on for the press release that accompanies it.

Get your kids an eye test - NOW!

WE'VE all booked our kids in for an eye test after working on our latest story for Colin Lee Opticians. They managed to save not just the sight, but the life of one of their patients, by helping diagnose a brain tumour with a routine check up.

It's really scary to think your child could have a cancerous tumour growing for years without them displaying any symptoms, but that's just what happened to 10-year-old Jack Cosnett. Luckily, Colin Lee caught it at a critical stage and it was removed in the nick of time.

We'd like to say a huge thank you to Jack and his mum, Theresa, who have coped really well with the demands of press photo shoots and radio interviews over the past couple of weeks. And what an amazing young lad Jack is. He's taken everything in his stride - and he's just glad he can play his computer games again!

Jenny, who conducted Jack’s eye exam at Colin Lee’s Ward End practise in Birmingham, said: “It’s just a really fortunate coincidence that Jack was brought in when he was, but it does underline the importance of having regular eye-tests from an early age.

“Children can be tested from as young as three, and we would recommend a yearly check-up as maintaining the health of the eyes from an early age can avoid problems in later life.

“More common conditions in children include squints and lazy eyes. These can be rectified before children reach seven, after that it may become more complicated and can lead to permanent vision loss.

“As has been proved in Jack’s case, symptoms aren’t always obvious and the equipment we use is often the only way to pick up on problems.”

So get on the phone and make that appointment!

Compton Hospice's major new facelift

READ all about the exciting work under way at Compton Hospice here.

We wish everyone involved well and hope it's not too stressful a time. Plans include sensory gardens, outdoor therapy areas and wheelchair accessible woodland walks.

The changes are aimed at creating an enriching environment, promoting privacy, dignity, independence and choice for patients and visitors at the hospice.

Sue Hope, director of Hope Studios and manager of the renovation project said: “Surroundings can make a huge difference to a person’s feeling of wellbeing and we want to create an environment that instills a sense of hope and inspiration as well as being inviting and comfortable."

It'll be great to see the result, so that the wonderful work carried out at Compton can continue, at full steam ahead! [Carol]

More advice for freelance writers

CONTRIBUTIONS to Press Gazette are continuing with a report on how to build a specialism as a freelance writer.

Our blog at Freelance Writing Tips is also picking up readers. Do get in touch if you have any questions. [Carol]

Mumtrepreneurs' funky togs go global

TWO ‘mumtrepreneurs’ who hatched their upmarket babywear business plan over a bottle of wine are celebrating after seeing their brand ‘go global’.

Friends Emma Williamson and Melanie Harvey, hit on the idea to combine healthy eating messages with funky, retro designs as they relaxed in Emma’s kitchen after a hard day looking after their children – and battling to get them to eat veg!

Tasty treat for Village people

WALSALL'S Village Hotel cooked up a treat for 80 VIP guests as they hosted a charity launch night for their new restaurant, Verve Grill, in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Street magician Russ Stokes conjured up some fun as he astounded with his up-close and personal tricks at the tables, and a barman from the hotel’s Victory Pub, Adam Smith, serenaded with classical tunes on the piano.

A charity auction raised £630 for Acorns Children’s Hospice, with prizes including a full spring-clean of someone’s house by the hotel housekeeping team, Verve Grill’s head chef cooking a three-course a-la-carte dinner for six at the winner’s home and a signed West Bromwich Albion shirt.

Adding some Bollywood spice

WOW! What a night. In between learning Bollywood dance moves, having henna tattoos and watching a fabulous fashion show by Coconut Couture, ladies at India Gates Restaurant's charity night raised £200 for Breast Cancer Care.
The event attracted 80 guests who all had a Bolly-Good time!

Thanks to Desi Nach Dance Troupe, Coconut Couture, Digital Aisa Entertainments, Shally's Beauty Parlour and Oxford Blue Jewellers for making the party go with a Bhangra!

A Passionate encounter for kids' TV star

IT'S a tough job but someone has to do it!

Here's Katie getting up close (but not quite personal, thank you!) with the lovely Mark Rhodes.

Mark was at a very special event last Saturday. He spoke movingly of what a wonderful woman his mum was when he attended a remembrance service organised by Compton Hospice.

Just don't call them "the twins" Big Brother!

TAMBA'S Twins, Triplets & More Week is fast approaching and this year it's a pretty low-key affair. That means I'm helping out voluntarily.

Please consider voting and commenting here if you would like to help my small part in continuing to help raise awareness of issues affecting twins, triplets or more. I've a few ideas up my sleeve as to what to do with the results. Big Brother will hopefully be a good hook...

In the past, we have worked on local, regional, national and yes (get me) international coverage. It's listed after the cut if you'd like to know more.

Women's business group co-founded by Passionate Media soars

I'M delighted to report that a recent visitors' day organised by the Cannock and Stone Wings groups proved a huge hit.

More than 40 people turned up to find out more about what we get up to.

The idea of the joint event was to bring together Wings' longest-serving and most recent members, to help give visitors a real idea of what the group is about.

Passionate advice in Press Gazette and Writers' News

AS Linda is far too modest to mention this, allow me to draw your attention to her advice in Press Gazette this week about sourcing and writing women's weekly magazine stories.

Apparently, she tells us, it's all down to the gift of the gab and attempting to "charm the birds out of the trees."

Now I'd like to say something witty about doing as she "says," rather than "does" but as she talked me into joining her in the company, I can't really can I?

There's another dose of advice for freelance journalists in this week's Writers' News courtesy of Alex Gazzola. That's off the back of a forthcoming book. Watch this space for more details, if Linda can get her head through the door. At least she has had the good grace to acknowledge how unrecognisable she is from that picture. [Carol]

"Virtual" success with The Independent

THANKS to education and careers writer Hazel Davis and her interest in Carmen's training for virtual assistants, there was a great piece in the Independent earlier this week.

The story is now being followed up by another national paper. What's particularly interesting for me on this is that Linda didn't send Hazel a press release, but trusted her instincts as to what she may be interested in pitching to one of her regular outlets.

A story we worked on with Carmen for Red magazine resulted in hundreds of enquiries. I wonder what this latest coverage will bring. [Carol]

Cheryl Baker, David Hasselhoff and more

AS well as our piece in The Sun this week about Rachel and her brush with the law over a shuttlecock, we've also seen some other pieces published.

Today's Guardian includes a latest Technobile piece about the curse of conference calls and DollyMix has an interview with Anna Pickard from Little Red Boat.

The Sun says "you couldn't make it up!"

OUR story about a young mum visited by the police over a missing shuttlecock (yes you read that right) is here.

It's a cracking tale and has a great showing. The Sun? We love it.

Compton Hospice scoops major grant

THERE'S been fantastic news and great coverage for Compton Hospice, which is all set for a major facelift after scooping a £226,775 cash boost.

The Department of Health’s Dignity and Care for Older People programme approved the grant application, sent by the hospice last year, for funds to improve the Compton Hall site inside and out.

The decision is set to make the hospice’s 25th anniversay year even more memorable, with work starting in May.

Tracy Marsh, head of fundraising and communications at the hospice said: “This is obviously wonderful news and we’re thrilled at the decision.

Passionate highlighted in UK flexible working survey

We were delighted to welcome employee relations adviser Mike Emmott from the CIPD recently to help him in his mission to compile a report on how small businesses can embrace flexible working.

Freelance writing tips blog begins

Craig McGinty is a Manchester-based blogger, journalist and absolute star.

Recently, he has been working with Linda on her You've Got Your Hands Full blog. Now the two of them have joined forces in a new online resource for freelance writers.

Freelancewritingtips.com will be updated regularly to include realistic advice on how to succeed as a freelance writer. It will also help promote Linda's book on freelance writing which is due for publication in August 2007.

Happy Christmas

Wishing you a happy and peaceful Christmas. Thanks to everyone whose support and business has helped make 2006 a great year for the team here. See you in 2007. [Linda]

A soulful night

Dressed in our best bib and tucker, me and Paul hit the dizzy heights of Birmingham last week to attend the inaugural UK IT Association awards dinner at The Novotel on Broad Street. 

We enjoyed a delicious three-course Christmas meal (no doubt I'll be sick of turkey by the time December 25 comes around).

Speeches and awards followed before soul band, Back 2 Miami hit the stage (all 10 of them) and got everyone up dancing to some good old soul classics.  It was a really enjoyable night to kick off the festive season, it was also great to put faces to names after being involved with UKita, as was WMita, for a few years now. [Carol]

Corrie Blog unveils top 50 best-loved character list

Katie in the slammer

Always a glutton for punishment our Katie is again going to extreme lengths to raise money for Compton Hospice.

This Friday she's being locked up in the cells at The Molineux in Wolverhampton until she raises enough bail to be released.

All the money raised will be donated to the Hospice so we're keen to raise as much bail as we can. We have to come up with a reason as to why Katie finds herself behind bars. Judging by this picture, it's got to be for crimes against fashion.

We will remember them

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds.

And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

www.wewillrememberthem.co.uk

 

An artist in the family

Here's a picture of my sister in law Sue, she lives in Malta with her husband David and she's a ceramic artist. You can read more about her here and see some of the lovely pieces she's made.  They live in the most beautiful place, it's called Buskett Forest and is just outside the town of Rabat.  The pictures don't do it justice but they do bring back memories. It's been four years since we last visited, far too long (as Sue keeps reminding me).  Let's hope we'll be back there next year.  [Carol]

Wings flying higher

I'm pleased to report that wings is going from strength to strength now, with groups running in Cannock, Leicester, Stoke, Tamworth and Walsall.  We've had some lovely coverage too. See here and here for a couple of online stories.  We're are also on the business page of this week's Staffordshire Newsletter. 

We've attracted lots of interest from local businesswomen, so there's clearly a need for this kind of networking group.  Not just in this area either. We're also getting enquiries from women in other areas of the country wanting to set up groups, so I'll update you as soon as we are ready to launch the next lot. [Carol]

Picture shows Julia Canham of The Retreat, Tracy Pound of MaximITy, Carmen MacDougall of CMA Coaching & Training, Barbara Oldham of Forever Living Products, and Carol Garrington

Related posts: Women in business? We must be comedians, Thanks Adrian!, Gargoyles, us?

An emotional journey

I visited Acorns Children’s Hospice in Walsall yesterday, along with a group from the Village Hotel who have been doing some fantastic work raising money for them.  They’ve already raised over £1,000 and have plenty more fundraising events in the pipeline - watch this space. . .  The group also arrived laden with gifts of toys and sweets, which I thought was a lovely gesture and was very well received.

And then there were five

Here's a picture of the newest member of the Passionate team.  Emma joined us last month (how time flies).  She's working four mornings a week and doing brilliantly, once she has negotiated past Linda's atrocious parking. This snap of Emma, looking very glam, with husband Mark and their children, six-year-old Amber and Harvey, two, was taken on holiday in Greece earlier this year. I wonder how long it will be before Amber and Harvey are joining our bunch on a Saturday morning for pottery lessons! [Carol]

An evening with the Badger

Who's that with the Badger? We recently reported on this and have just had these pictures through from what was a really enjoyable evening.  Ruth was on fine form as she gave an entertaining and thought-provoking after dinner speech to 60 Midlands businesswomen at Patshull Park. Her dedication to Compton Hospice came across loud and clear as she spoke about her long term commitment to the charity.  She also spoke about her upbringing, her family and of course her legendary appearance on The Apprentice.

A night to remember

We thought it was about time that we started to put some of the coverage our PR clients gain on the blog. Here's a double page spread that has just come out in a glossy regional title called West Midlands Life about Walsall's Village Hotel and the relaunch of its Salingers restaurant. Katie is working with the hotel to organise future events to also raise more cash for Acorns Children's Hospice so watch this space.

Latest twins feature and a new blog

This month's edition of the NSPCC's Your Family magazine contains our three-page spread on having twins or triplets. The families interviewed were a joy to deal with. Each had faced their own dramas and the sorts of challenges that are so often par for the course when you have a multiple birth family. There isn't a link available online to the current issue but it's available in all Early Learning Centres! What shone through, despite the inevitable difficulties, especially with babies born so early, was how blessed we all are.

'What my heart wants to say'

Just to add to Linda's post about what we've been up to this week, I wanted to let you know that we have a starring role in Chat today. That's issue no. 38 dated 28 September. Its entitled 'Walking tall'. Needless to say we've all had a little tear after reading it this morning.

I rushed to the newsagents on the way to work and bought five copies. How about that for measured anticipation? The woman looked at me strangely as she ran them through the till. 'I'm in the magazine' I said, 'so I'm buying copies for my family'.  She obviously thought I was mad.

Anyway, here's a couple of pictures that got away - Pontins Easter bonnet parade 1978 and Christmas 1984. Bill and Ben eat your heart out.[Carol]

Related posts: Women's weeklies? We love 'em, Our Carol's a winner

Variety, the spice of our lives

It has been an interesting few days to say the least - from the kerfuffle of a page lead in The Sun and all that entails to chasing the department of the minister for international development for a quote on how students can help change the world, and plenty more in between.We haven't had much chance to scratch our heads and wonder how on earth did we get here? But I think we could do with it. [Linda]

Here she goes again

Carol is in the Evening Mail tonight. Read all about her (again) here. Hopefully she'll find time to grace this blog with her presence in the morning and post the lovely picture the paper has used. It's a smasher. Good job we haven't both got a face for radio.[Linda]

Related posts: Women in business? We must be comedians, Thanks Adrian! Gargoyles, us?

Separated at birth?

Just found this pic of me and Katie all dressed up last year to go to a Promise Dreams charity ball at Bescot Stadium.  It's not very often we get to make such an effort so I wanted it on record that mums can look glam.In the words of David Walliams' character Emily Howard off Little Britain 'We are ladies'.  Couldn't resist digging out this pic of Ms Howard. I'm just glad I don't have the facial hair to match (no comments please LJ)[Carol]

Related posts: Gargoyles, us?

An evening with The Badger

Hmmn. Haven't mentioned the Badger for a while. Here's our latest press release.

Ruth Badger is set to test out her straight-talking advice on Midlands businesswomen next month, before embarking on filming her new Sky One show, The Big Idea. Female entrepreneurs in the region will have the opportunity to hear Ruth speak at the networking event and will also get to chat to her over dinner. The evening, to be held at Patshull Park Hotel on Thursday, September 14, has been organised as a fundraising event by Compton Hospice, who Ruth works with as a voluntary ambassador.

Sally Woods, corporate fundraiser at Compton Hospice said: “Since Ruth shot to fame in The Apprentice, she has been called on to speak at conferences and award ceremonies across the UK.

“Knowing how dedicated Ruth is to helping the people of her home town, we asked if she’d deliver a talk at a fundraising dinner that would benefit both the hospice and local businesspeople.

“We know how busy her schedule is, so we’re really grateful that she’s agreed to help.

“And with Ruth’s appearances elsewhere demanding over £100 per ticket, I think we’re offering a bargain at £38 to include dinner as well.”

Ruth said: “I never wanted or expected fame on entering The Apprentice, but if I can use it to benefit others, it’s been worth it.

“The networking event is an inspired idea – using my skills to help both local businesswomen and the hospice.

“Even though I’ve been offered my own TV series, I’m still passionate about remaining loyal to my roots in Wolverhampton and intend to dedicate as much time as possible to my role as ambassador for Compton Hospice. They need to generate over £4million each year to continue their service to people in and around Wolverhampton coping with a terminal illness. Any small part I can play in helping them achieve that is worthwhile.”

To find out more about the evening with Ruth Badger, or to book tickets, call the hospice on 0845 2255 497 or visit www.compton-hospice.org.uk.

We've said it before and we'll say it again, go Ruth, go Ruth!

For more information, call Sally Woods on 0845 2255 497. [Katie]

Related posts: Our Apprentice favourite, Ruth Badger following in Sir Alan's footsteps, Without a doubt, we're working with the Badger

Got any stories for Christmas?

We've been contacted by a magazine looking for heartwarming stories for Christmas. There will be a payment for anyone interviewed.  They are specifically looking for stories about babies born around Christmas time, beating the odds – perhaps they were poorly and battled back or arrived much earlier than they should. They also want to hear about any stories from people who became the victims of a crime last Christmas or the Christmas before. As well as this, they are interested in any more ‘general’ Christmas stories – preferably (well as far as I am concerned anyway) connected with family life, romance or pets! Please do get in touch if anything springs to mind. Yes it is still only August and no I'm not going to broadcast which mag it is - it's a good fun one though. [Linda]

It's a girl!

Well, we're delighted to announce yet another new arrival at the Passionate Media office.  Our photographer Jim is the proud dad of a bouncing baby girl.

Baby Ruby arrived this morning weighing 7lb 8oz (not quite as heavy as Rhona!).