ANDREW BRIGHTWELL
Communications advisor, strategist, and writer. Expert in storytelling for social purpose and public policy
brightwellandrew@gmail.com
Writing
My writing skills have benefited think tanks, charities and international NGOs. I often work with senior decision makers and policy experts to help them shape their arguments effectively and bring their thoughts and ideas to life.
- 2024: The House magazine, writing and editing. Most recently pieces on engineering biology and the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency .
- 2023: The Times, Engage Britain: Writing and supporting chief executive of Engage Britain with this piece, on GP waiting times, published by The Times.
- 2023: Transforming Skills: Providing the copywriting and editing for a call to transform skills training policy in England - working closely with authors NCFE, Edge Foundation and Corndel.
- 2022: Europe Challenge: Developing the language and writing for website, social media and printed material for the Europe-wide programme.
Storytelling
I’m an expert in first-person storytelling, working with volunteers to help them shape their experiences into compelling stories and liaising with high-profile national media to bring those stories to national attention.
- 2023: Today Programme, BBC Radio 4: Our storytellers, Kat and Zoe, explained why the Green Badge parking permit could make such a difference to domiciliary care workers across Britain.
- 2022-3: Leading Engage Britain’s storytelling and helping to secure a range of excellent media coverage, including The Guardian, BBC, Channel 4, and more.
- 2022: Working with working with Dee Dickens (right) to tell the story of her difficult decision to seek private healthcare.
Multimedia, multichannel
As well as writing, I’m a trained multimedia journalist, comfortable working with video and audio. I often work with filmmakers, streaming and AV experts - so can oversee larger scale audio and visual commissions.
Engage Britain:
People’s Panel
Working with videographer Ben Lithman, we produced this video in liaison with Engage Britain to mark the end of their People’s Panel. I interviewed participants and staff and worked on the script and production.
Engage Britain: Green Badge
This video was produced from a series of interviews conducted with participants, and produced to explain the impact of a proposed policy change.
Engage Britain:
Ideas for Change
I interviewed Matt and Ana following their involvement in producing a package of policies that can address the UK’s social care staffing crisis.
Advising & training
To genuinely benefit from advice, you first have to trust the messenger. I make sure I understand a client’s aims and can give them frank, supportive advice and strategic support. I can also deliver expertise through training and one-to-one coaching
- 2022-3: Local Climate Engagement: This groundbreaking programme, run by Involve, provided training in engagement for climate change to local authorities in England. I delivered training on communications and storytelling: equipping officers with vital skills in using communications techniques to engage residents to tackle the transition to net-zero.
- 2020: Webinars and guides for NHS England: Working with NHS England’s patient and public voice team to produce guidance during the pandemic to help engagement teams use digital and social media communication as part of their work.
What people who work with me say...
I worked with Andrew over a couple of years at Engage Britain. During that time he was instrumental in shaping the story of what we were doing and why we were doing it. In particular, Andrew crafted the narrative that supported Engage Britain's mission to convince a media and political audience that there is a better way to do politics. He worked brilliantly with participants and team alike - he drew out powerful stories from our participants, who trusted him to share their stories with a wider audience. And he worked across all the teams at Engage Britain - comms, analysis and programme - to produce great communications material and content. He has a fantastic way of making the most complex ideas digestible and compelling to all audiences. He's a pleasure to work with - you'd be lucky to do so!
Miriam Levin, Chief Executive, Engage Britain, now Director of Participatory Programmes, Demos
Andrew was an absolute delight to work with from a research point of view. He understands public opinion, politics and policy intuitively and his hard work made our research absolutely sing as a result. Would highly, highly recommend working with him if you get the chance.
Alasdair de Costa, Head of Research and Analysis, Engage Britain
I worked with Andrew on NHS Citizen a national programme commissioned by the Board of NHS England to help give the public a say on healthcare matters and a route to influence NHS England decision making. This is a high profile programme which has a significant communications and engagement function within it. Andrew provided consistent communications support to the programme, operating at high levels to influence senior decision makers within the NHS as well as working with me to help articulate our communications messages to the public.
Faiza Khan, formerly Programme Director, NHS Citizen, now Director, Corporate Affairs & Foundation, City & Guilds
I have worked with Andrew over the course of the last two years on a big, national change programme. It was a complex programme involving four partner organisations working at the very top of a national organisation to bring public voice into the heart of strategic decision-making. Andrew was a critical team member, instrumental in developing the comms strategy and messages for the programme and interacting both with members of the public and senior leaders. He contributed fully to the development of the programme, in ways that were quiet and unassuming, yet always incredibly insightful and moving the programme ahead in positive directions. I would whole-heartedly recommend Andrew.
Simon Burall, formerly Chief Executive of Involve, now Associate at Involve.