For any hard-pressed comms person in the public or third sector who just needs a bit of inspiration, handy learning or fascinating facts (there really is a New Fave Fact section). Campaign and creative inspiration you can steal. Storytelling and comms tips and insight to pass off as your own.
A letter from Attenborough
The underrated art of acknowledgementMy brother does nature conservation. No real reason for you to know or care about that, but he does. What I'd completely forgotten about was how a letter from Sir David Attenborough had played a large part in that, until he was recounting the story around the great man's 100th birthday celebrations a few weeks ago. When he was 12, Paul sent him a letter about reptiles he was rescuing near our house (our shared bedroom was always full of snakes and lizard tanks and I once woke up with a stick insect on the ceiling above me). He wasn't expecting anything back but a hand-written letter arrived back congratulating and encouraging him with his efforts. (And another detail I wasn't aware of was that a second letter then arrived as Sir David hadn't realised he'd already replied!) The impact that small gesture had on my brother was huge. And similar opportunities arrive at our door every day, particularly in comms. Whether it's something shared on social media, the work or efforts of a colleague, or a response to a resident or patient, a simple acknowledgement or thanks can have greater impact than you might imagine.
USE THIS: content and campaign ideasLoads of us deal with trying to recruit for our organisations, and attract different demographics, and this social post from Gwent Police is such a brilliantly simple, effective idea. (Get this type of creative and content inspiration first on the Creative Catch of the Day WhatsApp channel.) It’s never too late to become a police officer 👮♀️👮♂️ There’s no “perfect age”, but there is a time that’s right for you to step up and make a difference. Our officers join us at all ages. From 18 to 32 to 40… every path is different and every single officer is making a difference today – no matter when they joined us. If you’re wondering whether it’s too early, too late, or too much of a change… this is your sign. Your PC journey can start whenever you’re ready 🤩 #Recruitment #JoinUs #fyp #Opportunity #PCRecruitment ‘Dyw hi byth yn rhy hwyr i fod yn swyddog heddlu 👮♀️👮♂️ ‘Does dim “oedran delfrydol”, ond efallai mai nawr yw’r amser i chi. Mae pobl o bob oedran yn ymuno â ni fel swyddogion. O 18 i 32 i 40… mae pob llwybr yn wahanol ac mae pob swyddog yn gwneud gwahaniaeth, pryd bynnag yr ymunodd â ni. Dyma eich cyfle chi i wneud gwahaniaeth. Gall eich siwrnai fel Cwnstabl Heddlu ddechrau pryd bynnag rydych chi’n barod 🤩 SOCIAL: WhatsApp election greatnessThere can be hesitancy in teams and organisations about WhatsApp Channels - exactly where they fit and what purpose they serve. Real-time updates and breaking news are one of the areas they offer plenty of use in and Sheffield City Council's use in the recent local elections was a stellar example. (And look at that 100% increase in following too - thanks Zander Mills for the spot!) SOCIAL: The Round-Up
LORE: Ben and Jerry's ice cream graveyardWe've been trying to get our heads around lore in this newsletter (and our recent webinar), what it means and how we can lean into and use it. So I love this bit of archive-digging from Ben and Jerry's to relive their discontinued flavours - which do you miss most? PUBLIC SECTOR COMMS SURVEY 2026The largest benchmarking survey of local public services in the UK is live, so help provide valuable data to help improve communications across the sector. ABOUT USTurn The Page is a story-led communications consultancy, using the power of stories to create memorable, measurable campaigns, strategies and narratives. Campaigns and comms led by stories are measurably more successful and improve engagement and trust.
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The Page Turner - creative comms and storytelling gold
For any hard-pressed comms person in the public or third sector who just needs a bit of inspiration, handy learning or fascinating facts (there really is a New Fave Fact section). Campaign and creative inspiration you can steal. Storytelling and comms tips and insight to pass off as your own.
How long are you really listening for? Are you listening at the back? No, are you REALLY listening? I bet we all think we're good listeners now. It feels a very 2026 skill. We like to think we're good at empathising, understanding and comforting. And who better at that than doctors - they must the best listeners, right? Well, one study, shared by Lauren Castle-Baker on our recent webinar, found that GPs overestimated the amount of time they spend listening by 700%. One minute rather than...
Is that your final answer? Why the hell were we playing Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at a comms conference? (It was Who Wants To Be A Social Media-naire, to be completely accurate, tenuous pun fans). We were digging into the lore of our host city, Nottingham, at the LGcomms Academy event to find out what makes it special and unique. We've done a bit of dissecting and discussing lore right here - there's a webinar you can watch back if you missed that. But what are the practical building...
They don't teach you that at college No matter what type of comms qualification or experience you have, some things you just can't train for. You may have either got along to the UnAwards Masterclass event in Birmingham (well done if you bagged a ticket) or been able to join the online webinar last week. And, as always, it was brilliant to hear the stories behind the award-winning work - how it was planned, created and executed. (By the way, one of the top comms hacks out there is the Comms...