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If you want to give your company or service
the edge in today’s fast-paced media
world then experience and inside knowledge
of the industry are vital.
What you need is someone who knows the
game – a ‘poacher turned game-keeper’,
or rather a journalist turned public relations
consultant!
Sheila Coleman started her journalistic
career in 1989, and since then has gained
invaluable hands-on experience writing for
weekly, daily, and specialist publications.
She specialises in writing about and promoting
the farming, food and rural business sectors
in Wales,and spent eight years as the Western
Mail's Farming Editor.
During her time at the Western Mail,
Sheila was in charge of farming and rural
business coverage as well as launching and
producing the paper’s first weekly
Country & Farming supplement.
She has been Managing Editor of the NFU
Cymru newspaper Farming Wales,
and has contributed to the Farmers’
Union of Wales magazine Y Tir,
and prestigious business publications such
as Corporate Wales.
While now representing a number of clients
in the Welsh food and farming industries,
Sheila has maintained her journalistic roots
and excellent media contacts – and
still writes a regular column in the Western
Mail.
She
is also a specialist copywriter for the
Welsh Assembly Government, and produced
copy for the former Welsh Development Agency
working on such high profile projects as
the True Taste/Gwir Flas Awards, the
quarterly Rural Wales Magazine,
as well as writing for the Farming Connect
Service and the Royal Welsh Show literature.
Through her work Sheila has gained a wide
and in-depth knowledge of the issues facing
businesses in rural Wales – and knows
what makes them tick.
Her work in these areas has won her praise
from both the farming industry and her peers.
In 1997 she was named the Farmers' Union
of Wales' Farming Journalist of
the Year and in 2000 as the Guild
of Agricultural Journalists' UK Regional
Journalist of the Year. She is
a member of the National Union of Journalists
and the Guild of Agricultural Journalists.
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If you want someone who excels at working
under pressure, producing the goods time
after time, then look no further than Leigh
Roberts.
Her four years as head of NFU Cymru’s
public relations – where she was responsible
for all internal and external communications
– saw some of the most turbulent times
for the farming industry, but they helped
hone the excellent media-handling skills
she has today.
Leigh’s smooth crisis management
during the 2001 Foot-and-Mouth disaster
was recognised by the Foreign Press Association
with the Press Office of the Year
Award.
Her NFU responsibilities included that
of managing editor of the 24 page, 16,000
circulation monthly newspaper, Farming
Wales. She set up the NFU’s website
and promotional food and farming road show,
as well as organising numerous industry
campaigns and media events.
Prior to the NFU, she spent four years
in another demanding PR role as a Press
and Public Relations Officer for South Wales
Police. Again she excelled in crisis communications,
specialised in publicity campaigns, and
was editor of the force’s monthly
magazine, Billboard.
She also specialises in public affairs
and is a regular columnist for the Western
Mail, and has enviable contacts in the Welsh
media.
By working closely over the years with
the media - print, radio, and television
- Leigh has first-hand experience of how
to best to conduct press interviews.
She was responsible for all NFU Cymru's
media training, advising grass-roots members
and staff on all aspects of the media industry.
Like Sheila, she has a deep knowledge of
and passion for food and farming issues
– particularly the red meat sector
– as well as in wider rural affairs.
Many of her clients include food and farming
sector businesses, and among others, she
has provided external PR consultancy services
to the National Farmers’ Union Cymru.
She is a Member of the Institute
of Public Relations and the Guild of Agricultural
Journalists.
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