Fiona McAuslan

Senior communications consultant and strategist with extensive experience across public, private and third sectors. Specialising in impact-led content creation, multi-project management, stakeholder engagement, and brilliantly inclusive internal and external communications.

Employment and voluntary leadership roles

Smallwood Trust May 2024 - present

Strategic communications and external affairs consultant, grant making trust

Monitoring and responding to relevant political, policy and media developments
Developing comms strategy for inclusive storytelling that empowers beneficiaries
Developing engagement strategy for partnerships with local & combined authorities
Writing and ghosting articles for sector press on the charity’s initiatives

Eastside People November 2024 - present

Strategic communications consultant, recruitment agency

Developing multi-platform content strategies to promote Eastside People’s takeover of the Festival of Trusteeship. Measurably increasing awareness, engagement and conference ticket sales.
Leading voice on steering committee shaping tone of voice, impact measurement and direction of the festival with a particular focus on evolving the offer from a charitable enterprise to a social enterprise and commercially viable one.

Reach charity June 2024- October 2024

Strategic communications consultant, health charity

Leading internal communications strategy for a health charity undergoing structural change
– Developing transparent multi channel comms explaining changes to members’ voting rights
– Delivering comms that centred trust and clarity, resulting in a successful transition

Getting on Board Dec 2020 – July 2024

Communications Director, trustee recruitment charity

Hugely increased awareness, reach and impact of this infrastructure charity positioning it as one of the leading governance voices of the third sector
Contributed to major reports, national conference programming and training product design, working groups with government departments and others resulting in recommendations made at national level to trustee recommendations
Led communication strategy and theory of change to position charity for growth
Led story-led case studies strategy and created a multi-use case study library
Directed strategy, campaigns and wrote and recorded content across all channels—web, newsletters, social media, guides and press
Led on brand voice and tone, creating consistent narrative across channels
Wireframed and directed website overhaul. Managed the streamlined, simplified website resulting in a 30% uptick in traffic and guide downloads
Managed Google analytics and Google Ads account increasing reach and impact
Delivered significant audience growth: mailing list from <500 to 13K (36% avg open), Twitter/X from under <500 to 4.2K, LinkedIn from under <500 to 7.4K Started and grew YouTube channel to over 1K.
Drafted press releases and corporate comms and reports resulting in increased press coverage, and therefore sponsor partnerships
Represented the charity at real world events and hosted online events
Maintained CRM Hubspot and supported relationship mapping and engagement

Literacy Pirates 2020-present

Vice Chair of the board and chair of HR and Governance committee education charity (voluntary)

Leading trustee recruitment, board appraisals and internal governance culture
Board lead for the charity’s first equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) framework
Designing and delivering training and team development sessions
Building board and organisation culture with a focus on inclusion and accountability

Chair of Well Street Common Friends 2018-present

Chair of London community group and Festival Director (voluntary)

Director of free annual community festival, leading on organisation strategy, logistics, marketing, and festival delivery.
Incrementally increased footfall from <500 in 2019 to 1,500+ attendees in 2024
Managing the group’s finances, festival budget and directing fundraising policy
Developing bid strategy and overseeing winning bids from national foundations
Developing marketing and comms strategy to incorporate fundraising and sponsorship, and subsequently tripling turnover
Building volunteering teams and local networks, increasing community reach and participation
Developing strategy to increase demographic reach, leading outreach to work with local groups including London youth organisations, community groups and schools.

Hackney New School (now Waterside Academy) Sept 2017-April 2021

Head of Careers and Head Librarian

Advocated for and led the school’s first careers policy aligned to Gatsby Benchmarks
Directed first programme of careers fairs, guest speakers and work experience
Prioritised financial knowhow for KS3 and KS4 within the careers programme
Increased engagement with reading for pleasure by 30 percent among PP students
Created workflow with library system data to track reading engagement for reports
Created a safe space for LGBTQI+ students and neurodivergent students

Quadrangle Research July 2018– Oct 2020

Head of Content & Digital Marketing, market research agency

Designed and directed case study library, delivered a new brand narrative and voice
Led high-performing campaigns to increase client acquisition and engagement
Held marketing budget and agency relationships including CRM management

Various consultancy clients Sept 2016 – July 2017

Leading content strategy, writing content plans, creating digital and print content

Fitpro Media April April 2011 – Aug 2016

Editor & Head of Content Strategy, fitness professional educator

Time Out London Sept 2002 – Aug 2008

Health & Fitness Editor; Culture & Lifestyle Writer

Education & Languages

BA Hons Spanish with Writing and Publishing Studies (2:1) — Middlesex University
Fluent in Spanish

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