Consultancy that delivers growth
“Natalie brought strategic thinking and structure to complex work across multiple teams. Her counsel helped us plan more effectively, make better use of insight and apply innovation in ways that will deliver long-term value. I was delighted to have her as part of our team.
Catherine Thomas, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Clarion Housing Group
Strategic communications for Clarion Housing Group
Between 2025 and 2026, I was appointed by the Group Executive Team of Clarion Housing Group, the UK's largest housing association, to provide strategic consultancy in four areas: change communications, corporate affairs, internal communications, and strategy development.
With regulatory expectations rising, resident needs evolving, and internal transformation accelerating, Clarion sought to improve leadership communications and visibility to ensure the organisation could meet its ambition to stay ahead in a challenging operating environment. My role was both to provide leadership advisory support and hands-on delivery to the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer; Chief Housing Officer; Chief People, Data and Digital Officer; Chief Property Officer; and the wider Corporate Affairs team.
Engaging colleagues with change
Clarion's organisation-wide transformation programme, Connect, was underway but its scale and iterative approach had created challenges for colleague engagement. I reviewed existing communications activity and developed a narrative framework that gave colleagues a clear reason to believe in the change, improving coordination of messaging from leadership and across internal channels.
Content was tailored to key colleague groups and delivered through a dedicated change newsroom, with monthly newsletters and all-colleague Check-Ins. The newsroom approach shifted communications about change from broadcast to dialogue, increasing reach and drawing positive feedback from colleagues.
9,488 colleagues reached
70% average newsletter open rate
Monthly Check-In attendance averaging over 200
Innovation to accelerate the strategic value of corporate affairs
The Corporate Affairs team wanted a more strategic, forward-looking approach that would drive innovation and enable the team to meet increased internal and external stakeholder demand. I worked with the senior leadership team to improve planning and apply the latest technologies, including AI, to build frameworks for integrated campaigning and evaluation. This included bi-annual planning away days, a 2026 innovation roadmap and introducing a real-time evaluation dashboard that connected communications outcomes to organisational risk and resident experience.
For the Internal Communications team, I introduced practical planning tools and advised on using AI to improve campaign planning, audience insight and content delivery. This helped the team operate as a more visible strategic function and strengthened capability.
Translating strategy to impact: refresh of the People, Resident and Property Strategies
As Clarion entered a new strategy cycle, the Chief People, Data and Digital Officer, Chief Housing Officer and Chief Property Officer sought a new approach to strategy development that strengthened engagement and demonstrated a joined-up approach to planning and delivery across directorates.
For each strategy, I analysed evidence and reviewed three-year delivery frameworks to draft the vision, narrative, visualisation, full presentation, and launch communication plans that enabled leadership to bring their ambition to life. This included messaging that translated the strategy into tangible, actionable outcomes that were inspiring to colleagues and aligned to the broader corporate ambition - making a difference to residents.
The strategies were launched with dedicated ‘take over’ of the internal communications channels, online information hubs, resident case studies, and open Q&A sessions with leadership. Together, activity resulted in improved leadership visibility and ownership that led to improved colleague engagement and understanding.
Why it mattered
This project provided strategic communications counsel at a moment of significant organisational change. I was able to support the Clarion Group Executive Team to engage colleagues with reset strategy, building awareness, understanding and engagement across the organisation. The outcome was to demonstrate the the value of communications as a strategic enabler that can accelerate operational delivery.
“Natalie quickly got to grips with our fast moving stakeholder and policy landscape to deliver a highly effective communications strategy. This included a strategic approach that won leadership support and led to a brand reset that enabled IGP to achieve greater impact while saving budget. I would recommend to any organisation considering how to leverage reputation for growth.”
Chandni Ruparelia, COO, Island Green Power
Communications ‘reset’ for Island Green Power
For the second half of 2024, I worked with Island Green Power (IGP), a leading utility-scale solar developer who, against a backdrop of rapid policy change and increasing public scrutiny, sought to strengthen communications. A specialist in delivering nationally significant infrastructure solar projects (NSIPs), IGP had a fragmented, reactive communications approach that was inefficient and left the organisation vulnerable to reputational risk.
I was appointed as Interim Director of Corporate Affairs with a brief to establish a communications strategy then build an in-house team to reset the brand, strengthen reputation, improve project level communications and accelerate national policy engagement. I worked with Strategy + Impact associate Charlotte Broadribb to lead brand delivery.
Approach
The six month project began with an audit of IGP’s existing communications, perceptions amongst stakeholders, and reputational risks. Insights were used for:
Strategy development resulting in a communications framework that improved engagement and aligned messaging across IGP corporate and project communications
Brand reset including production of comprehensive brand guidelines, key messaging and creation of ‘new’ assets
Leadership and team engagement to embed the new strategy
Implementation including recruitment to the internal team and streamlined agency operations across the IGP portfolio to improve efficiency and consistency.
Outcomes
The project contributed to a transformation in IGP's reputation by:
Repositioning the brand with a clear vision, mission and identity around delivering benefit to communities
Improving the delivery and effectiveness of communications and community consultation across the IGP portfolio of 13 projects while achieving cost savings of 30-40%
Supporting national policy and local stakeholder engagement with clear benefits led messaging
Securing positive support amongst national, trade and local media for approval of the UK's largest solar farm (Cottam)
The outcome was to position IGP as a leading force ‘for good’ in UK solar development. It contributed to strengthening the organisation’s resilience to risk while strengthening investor and stakeholder confidence.
Natalie transformed the approach and effectiveness of communications at Newham Council. This included implementing a reset of our brand and managing a range of high profile crisis issues. In a highly complex, fast changing organisation Natalie provided exceptional leadership that contributed to the organisation delivering on its strategic priorities.
Colin Ansell, Interim Chief Executive, Newham Council
Natalie’s strategic input marked a turning point for always possible. Her insight helped us redefine our priority audiences and simplify our proposition to meet their emerging needs. We used her advice to strengthen our marketing, messaging then develop sharper, sector-specific content. She has helped unlock new thinking and develop a clear roadmap for growth. I’d recommend her to any organisation looking to accelerate.
Richard Freeman, CEO, always possible
