Ellee Seymour

Career Summary

Ellee Seymour MCIPR

Phone:                       07939 811961

Email:                        ellee.seymour@btopenworld.com

Web:                           http://elleeseymour.com

Nationality:             British

Present position    Press consultant and journalist

Summary

• Ellee Seymour has had an extensive career as a press consultant and journalist.
• She shows initiative, flair and determination in following through projects.
• She raised the profile of Conservative parliamentary candidates in the Eastern region for the European Election in 2009 and the General Election in 2005.
• In the last six years she has raised the profile of Eastern region Euro MP Robert Sturdy.
• She advises a prospective parliamentary candidate in Yorkshire.
• She has obtained a PG Certificate in Applied Social Science Research Methods (distinction).
• She holds the postgraduate CIPR Diploma in Public Relations.
• She is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
• She is a chair of Headway Cambridgeshire, a leading national brain injury charity.
• She has developed the social media as an additional PR tool. She writes a personal news/political weblog and has been ranked as one of the UK’s top political and environmental bloggers. It has been featured on the BBC Politics Show, BBC News 24 and in The Guardian. It is included on the website of Foreign Secretary David Miliband and is being archived by The British Library.
• She has ghost written the extraordinary life story of Cambridge psychic Dennis McKenzie which was published by Headline in September 2009.

Positions currently held

• Press Officer for a Euro MP: Appointed in August 2002 by Robert Sturdy, Conservative International Trade spokesman, writing press releases and arranging TV and radio interviews on subjects ranging from bird flu, international trade and the EU sugar regime, liaising with international organisations to launch a high profile sugar campaign. She also writes letters to The Times and Telegraph on his behalf.
• Press and Campaigns Officer for Julian Sturdy: Prospective parliamentary candidate for York Outer, organising campaigns and raising his media profile to contest the next general election.

Relevant recent positions

• Press Officer for Infection 2009 conference: A prestigious 3-day conference in Birmingham 11-13 November with lead medical scientists on all major superbugs and infections, led by conference chair Sir Richard Sykes. BBC Newsround filmed a school visit, and ITV and local radio attended too, as well as representatives from medical journals.

• Eastern Region Press Officer for the Conservative: April-June 2009, writing press releases, promoting MEPs and candidates, taking photos, making and editing videos, running the election campaign website and liaising with the regional media.

• Press Consultant for NIAB: The National Institute of Agricultural Botany, a world leading plant science research organisation conducting innovative trials which could shape the way parts of the world are fed in future years. She secured major positive media coverage for their pioneering work in 2007 and 2008.
• Press Officer for CHASTE: Churches Against Sex Trafficking in Europe, writing press releases and actively promoting their work to abolish trafficking in 2007 and 2008.

• Conservative Eastern Region Press Officer. Appointed by Conservative Central Office in January 2005 to promote parliamentary candidates in marginal seats for the general election, organising regional campaigns, writing press releases and providing extensive media coverage, liaising with the worldwide media.

• Press Officer for Westminster MP. Appointed in July 2004 to raise the profile of Malcolm Moss, Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire. He had many positive radio interviews and stories in the local press as a result of her proactive work.

• Press Consultant for small businesses, including Temping Fate, a premier East Anglian introductions agency; The Development Centre, a private clinic for drink and drug addicts; Winning Minds, a coach and NLP practitioner, and teenage coach Marie Munro who advises parents and teenagers. Her work has resulted in extensive media coverage, including TV, radio and high profile features. She also assisted Felsted School, Essex in promoting the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

• Press Officer for Essex Environment Trust: Writing press releases about awards made to local community and environmental projects from landfill tax funding, a position held for two years.
• Researcher, writer and photographer: Researching and writing a publication for Cambridgeshire County Council’s education department on Citizenship to promote it as a flagship county, also obtaining high profile endorsements. She extensively researched the project and took many of the photographs.
• Press Officer to UK leading independent waste consultant David Davies, publicising his high profile data-rich projects, obtaining endorsement from the Environment Minister for the national launch of his unique Recycling Atlas for England and Wales.
• Freelance journalist: Writing features for Resource, a leading UK waste magazine, on waste and recycling in the EU accession countries, the plastic bag levy in the Republic of Ireland, leaf composting and social and community recycling projects.

In 2001 and 2002, Ellee Seymour was Press Officer for three major high profile household waste initiatives:

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Joint Waste Management Strategy, an extensive public consultation campaign which was widely praised and attracted positive press coverage.
• Slim Your Bin, a recycling roadshow run by a partnership of seven county and 57 district councils. At the launch of its 18-month roadshow, she obtained endorsement and praise from Environment Minister Michael Meacher. Pop stars Atomic Kitten agreed to her request to sign three SYB tee-shirts and actress Prunella Scales attended a SYB roadshow, also at her request.
• The East of England Regional Waste Technical Advisory Board, a partnership of six county and four unitary authorities. She wrote press releases and helped with public consultation regarding the proposed regional draft waste strategy to help raise awareness.

Early background

Ellee Seymour started writing a newspaper column from the age of 16. She joined her local paper at 18 and trained to become a qualified journalist, meeting standards required by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. She worked on regional newspapers in East Anglia, and her last full-time post was at the Cambridge Evening News where she wrote a weekly health page, as well as taking photographs for publication. She worked at the CEN for more than 10 years.

Interests and affiliations

She is a member The Hansard Society and Associate of the Reform think tank. She also belongs to the public speaking group Cambridge Toastmasters and leads walks for the Ramblers’ Association. She is learning the clarinet and enjoys video production, photography, working out at the gym, visiting the theatre, the cinema and reading.

References

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