"So… what is it you actually do?"

That’s the regular question from my parents, and yesterday was one of those days that neatly summed up the answer.

I was at Mickleton Village Hall in County Durham for an event that marked the culmination of a project I’ve been working on for Durham Community Action. They approached me last year for communications support on their Rural Housing Enabler project after struggling to engage local communities.

Getting affordable homes built in rural areas isn’t easy, and it’s even harder when communities don’t see the problem in the first place. That’s where I came in.

So how did I tackle this?

• Developed messaging and a campaign to highlight the lack of affordable housing in rural County Durham, using their data to tell a compelling story.

• Produced a short film showcasing a Northumberland parish council’s success, from filming interviews to editing with subtitles and music.

• Designed infographics breaking down housing data for parishes, making the issue impossible to ignore.

• Organised and created promo for the event, attracting 50+ attendees (not bad for a remote village!). I shaped the agenda, briefed speakers, and made sure everything ran smoothly.

• Provided tech support on the day - coordinating speakers, running presentations, and creating a branded slide deck.

It was a day that brought together the full mix of skills I use in communications: strategy, campaign planning, creative content, digital storytelling, and hands-on event support.

And yes, I also got to eat cake in a village hall!

But the real icing on the proverbial cake? News came in right at the end of the day of renewed funding from DEFRA for another year, proving the impact of projects like this across the country.

So now my parents know what I do - and if you’ve read this far, so do you!