Unsung hero
Reading Borough Council
In the midst of Covid, Reading Borough Council needed a Communications Assistant to assist its extremely busy comms team. Ellie Moore joined the Council on a temporary contract in October 2020, working remotely whilst getting to grips with local government. Ellie ended up becoming a permanent and highly valued member of the team, and was nominated by her colleagues for the ‘Unsung hero’ award.
Her approach
Alongside supporting the day to day running of the comms office, Ellie’s colleagues report that she manages the Council’s social media channels with skill and creativity. She is dedicated to generating new and engaging content that meets the Council’s strategic priorities and corporate plan, and to creating effective and engaging content that always puts Reading’s community members front and centre.
Throughout her role, Ellie has increasingly taken on more responsibility and grown her experience, including assisting with communications on a range of high-profile campaigns such as local elections, a general election, and a city status bid. She also co-ordinates the Council’s Christmas campaign – a cross-council effort to highlight the support available to residents during the festive season. Additionally, Ellie leads on managing the communications for the Council’s Consumer Services team, working on campaigns for trading standards, licensing, and food safety. Ellie embodies Reading Borough Council’s focus on building thriving communities, and of ensuring that all of its residents are able to share the benefits of Reading’s success.
During the recent local and general elections, Ellie had full responsibility for social media comms. She had the foresight to draft posts in advance for all 16 of Reading’s wards so that only Councillors’ names needed to be added before publishing the results. Her attention to detail was outstanding, and enabled the Council to communicate the results to local residents efficiently and in real-time.
Most recently, Ellie pitched the idea of producing a video about Reading Festival, showcasing the work of Reading Council officers to ensure that festivalgoers have a great experience, stay safe and minimise disruption to local residents. Her Reading Festival video achieved high engagement rates and reached over 6,000 unique accounts.
Ellie constantly strives to improve and expand her own communications skills, with on-the-job development through colleague mentoring and online courses. She joined a peer working group and was instrumental in developing engaging communications aimed at young people, promoting local health services. One of Reading Borough Council’s values is ‘make a difference’ – and Ellie realises this value with each and every project.
“Winning a Golden Ele has been incredible!…
I was so chuffed to be shortlisted alongside some real superstars, but to win in my category was amazing. I was very lucky to have been secretly nominated by a colleague, who was also shortlisted in the Best Use of Social Media category. The trophy might say Unsung Hero, but it’s hard to feel that way when you’re surrounded by such brilliant colleagues who always celebrate each others’ efforts, both seen and unseen.”
Ellie Moore | Reading Borough Council
On awarding Ellie with this Golden Ele, the judging panel said:
“To say Ellie is committed is an understatement – she works all hours to get important announcements communicated to residents, and also inspires with her creativity.”
Congratulations to Ellie for winning this prestigious award.
ON DEMAND
Orlo’s BIG Social 2024
At BIG Social 2024, we explored the essential building blocks for successful community engagement and looked at how collaboration across the public sector can foster stronger, more resilient communities through brilliant conversations.
We were joined by fantastic speakers from right across the public sector and by some of our incredible Orlo Partners including Luan Wise, Nextdoor, LGcomms and Participation People.
