Rhian French MCIPR

Rhian is a freelance public relations (PR) consultant and former journalist based in Andover, Hants.  She has more than 15 years' communications experience working on numerous press launches, internal communications, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes and PR campaigns for businesses and charities across Hampshire, the UK and beyond.

Rhian is an active member of the UK's Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR) and was also a judge for the 2009 CIPR Regional Pride Awards as well as for CIPR Wessex’s 2008 and 2009 Best PR Dissertation Award at Bournemouth University.

Her public relations and copywriting experience includes helping to launch the CORGI gas safety ID card and various marketing campaigns for financial services company, Winterthur Life based in Basingstoke. She has also worked for national mapmaker, Ordnance Survey in Southampton, first in its press office with specific responsibility for managing the annual report and later as CSR Initiatives Manager, developing community and staff engagement plans as well as the organisation’s CSR policy and programme.

Rhian was the first ever Communications Manager for well-known Hampshire charity, Naomi House Children's Hospice, significantly raising its profile in the regional media and co-ordinating PR for its 10th anniversary, which included a live broadcast from the hospice by BBC South Today. She also secured mentions for the charity’s open days on both Wake up to Wogan and Chris Evans’ Drivetime Show.

Since becoming a freelance public relations consultant and copywriter, Rhian's clients have included Testway Housing in Andover; the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) for whom she currently provides public relations services in South East England; EuroGeographics - the association for the European National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies; Andover property maintenance and repair company, NJA Services; independent relocation specialist, HCR based in Basingstoke; Southampton-based accessories designer, Little Red; The Escape Design and Web Agency in Hampshire; and the University of Winchester, providing professional input into the Aimhigher English project.

She also works closely with Briscoe PR on a range of accounts which have included National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the Office for National Statistics Census 2011 Team and Quob Stables Equestrian Centre near Southampton.