Experienced North East freelancers launch new communications collective

Experienced North East freelancers launch new communications collective

A team of leading North East freelancers have joined forces to create a new Partnership that gives organisations in the public, private and third sectors access to specialist skills across communications, marketing, digital, creative and design.

The newly launched NE Comms Collective comprises David Brookbanks (Ludlow Street), Becky Madeley, Emma Pybus, Ben Miners (Ben & Viv), Jade Gillham, and Simon Canaway (Supanaught), all of whom are established names in the North East’s communications and creative sectors. 

David Brookbanks, founding partner of NE Comms Collective, said: “As freelance practitioners, we all have a flexible, adaptable and collaborative approach to working. We also have decades of experience and provide the kind of senior counsel organisations really benefit from. NE Comms Collective is about bringing those skills together so clients benefit from the full-service communications you’d expect from a traditional agency, but with the in-depth knowledge, strategic delivery, and senior experience of freelance practitioners. 

“Freelancers can often be overlooked for bigger contracts as there’s an assumption we won’t have the resources or capacity to deliver all the elements. In fact, freelance practitioners offer one of the most flexible approaches to contract delivery as we can scale our operations through partnership and collaboration. NE Comms Collective formalises that process and allows clients to see the rich pool of freelance talent they can have access to.”

All members of NE Comms Collective run successful freelance businesses and have collaborated on projects over a period of more than ten years. Individually, they have decades of communications, marketing and design experience, having worked in in-house roles and as part of consultancies. 

Freelance PR, communications and marketing specialist David Brookbanks is the director of Ludlow Street, a company he founded in 2014. David works with clients including the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

After a 11-year career delivering communications for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (now North East Museums), Emma Pybus has been running her freelance business since 2011. Current clients include North Tyneside Council and North East-based charity Blue Cabin.

Becky Madeley is an experienced marketing professional and has had senior roles at Berghaus and NewcastleGateshead Initiative. Becky has worked as a freelance marketing consultant since 2018 and clients have included Museums Northumberland, Novo Theatre, Alnwick Playhouse and Newcastle Rugby. 

Ben Miners leads independent creative partnership Ben & Viv, which was founded in 2015. Ben & Viv’s clients include North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, North East Screen and Invest North East England.

Jade Gillham is a PPC and LinkedIn Ads specialist working with clients including North East Growth Hub, The Works, Gateshead College, and University Centre Quayside. She also founded the North East Freelance Network, a community supporting the region's freelance workforce.

Simon Canaway is the founder of Supanaught, a highly respected creative studio that provides design consultancy for brand, print and digital. Simon has delivered work for Art Network North East, Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, and Ways to Wellness.

David added: “Individually, we’ve each had a hugely positive impact on the clients we’ve worked with, whether that’s creating and implementing a brand identity, devising and delivering strategic communications campaigns, or creating content across a range of different platforms. 

“Through NE Comms Collective we can combine our talents and help organisations working in any sector to effectively communicate with their audiences. Our approach is always about providing practical, targeted and achievable solutions that deliver against campaign objectives.”

NE Comms Collective brings together all the Partners’ skills and experience to provide a full service communications offer, with specialist skills across PR, media and content creator relations; marketing strategy and delivery; e-communications strategy; campaign planning and delivery; design and creative; stakeholder relations; web content, and search engine optimisation. 

For more information, visit necommscollective.com