In my last post, I wrote about Dan Slee’s list of 77 skills for a public sector communications team and why it can feel overwhelming if you work in a small charity.

Small charities don’t have large teams or specialist roles.

But that doesn’t mean communications doesn’t matter. It just means you have to focus.

I looked at the list, and with a bit of artistic licence, made from it a top seven of my own. These aren’t all technical skills in the traditional sense, these are the seven foundations that make the biggest difference in a small charity.

I’ve just read Dan Slee’s latest blog listing 77 skills a public sector comms team needs in 2026. It’s a brilliant piece of work. It captures just how broad and complex communications has become - from strategy and crisis response to video, analytics, accessibility and AI.

But blimey - seventy-seven!

Be honest – how many of those does your charity actually have covered?

For most small charities I work with, the answer is: not many. Often there isn’t a comms team. Sometimes there isn’t even a comms person. It’s just someone doing their best alongside everything else.

And it’s hard to keep up, even for me as a comms generalist. The list grows every year. Channels change. Expectations shift. Digital moves fast.

On Tuesday, I popped over to Newcastle University’s Societies and Volunteering Fair on behalf of FareShare North East and what a joy it was!

My main job was to gather content for socials, but while I was there, I did a bit of research too. I chatted to stallholders about their merch and what worked to engage students.

Here’s what I found:

Today I had the pleasure of delivering an ‘Intro to AI’ session to the brilliant team at Community Action Northumberland.

Rather than a generic presentation, I made it practical, showing how AI can support real roles in the charity sector.

Can you see the strings we’re holding in this picture?

They’re a perfect symbol for something I’ve been thinking about lately – embracing community as a freelancer.

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

This February 2025 marks 10 years since I took the leap into freelancing. To celebrate, I’m sharing 10 tips for anyone considering this rewarding and flexible career path.

2024 as a freelancer has been varied, challenging, creative and exciting. All set against a stressful homelife supporting 4 teenagers going through A-level and GCSE exams simultaneously.

Colleagues – are you guilty of saying these five things in your everyday speech?