Flattered... excited ... ever so slightly overwhelmed?! These are just some of the emotions that ran through my mind when Pancreatic Cancer Action's Marketing Manager asked me to project manage their supporter magazine, Action Magazine, with a mere 8-week deadline.
Action Magazine hadn't been produced in over eighteen months due to staffing shortages and restructures within the marketing team, but it remained an integral part of the charity. It's a way to communicate directly with the charity's supporters, patrons and fundraisers and keep them updated and engaged with PCA's mission.
About PCA
My career experience before I went freelance full-time weighs pretty heavily towards charities and the third sector. I've always been drawn to this kind of work - it's so rewarding to feel my day-to-day work contributes to something that can make a real, tangible difference in people's lives.
I started working with Pancreatic Cancer Action in Spring 2021 when they brought me on board to manage a national PR campaign aimed at increasing awareness of pancreatic cancer symptoms in Wales.
They are one of the UK's leading charities that focus on fundraising for research to treat pancreatic cancer - which is one of the deadliest cancers out there. Due to the ambiguity of its symptoms, by the time most people get diagnosed, it's already too late for life-saving surgery.
The brief
Putting together the first Action Magazine in 18 months within the space of eight weeks was no easy feat. The organisation had so many amazing updates that had occurred during this time, from supporter stories to fundraising events and life-changing research developments they'd funded in collaboration with some of the UK's most prolific universities.
The first step was planning the magazine's contents, then working with the wider team to collect all the relevant information, images and links and write it in a way that was engaging and thought-provoking for its readers.
The results
After what felt like many, many proofreading sessions, the final magazine went off to the printers and was distributed to thousands of PCA supporters around the UK. To feel the glossy, 32-page magazine in my hands after so much hard work was so gratifying - and we received some incredible feedback from the readers about the content.
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