South Cheshire Harriers: Website, Email & Social Communications

Volunteer communications project
Role: Communications Officer
Areas: Squarespace, WordPress, Mailchimp, social media, content planning, design and event communications
Period: November 2021–November 2024

South Cheshire Harriers is a local running club supporting athletes of different ages and abilities.

I joined the committee as volunteer Communications Officer at a time when the club needed a more modern website and a clearer, more consistent approach to keeping members informed and promoting its activities.

I managed communications across the website, email, social media, blog content, promotional materials and local PR. I worked closely with committee members to gather accurate information and coordinate activity around club events, races and deadlines.

Selected results

New Squarespace website built from scratch · Instagram profile visits increased by 500% · Instagram followers increased by 50% · New Mailchimp newsletter template introduced

Website planning and development

I initially maintained and updated the club’s existing WordPress website before planning and building its replacement from scratch using Squarespace.

The new website provided a clearer, more visually engaging source of information for existing members and people considering joining the club.

My work included:

• Planning the website structure and navigation

• Building and formatting the Squarespace pages

• Reviewing, rewriting and organising existing content

• Selecting and arranging club photography

• Creating sections for membership, events, races, club championships and news

• Adding clearer calls to action and contact information

• Maintaining and updating the website after launch

• Optimising website content and page information

Email marketing and member communications

I redesigned the club’s email newsletter template in Mailchimp and used it to send regular member communications.

The newsletters brought together club news, event information, race details, training updates and other announcements in a clear and consistent format.

I planned each newsletter, gathered information from committee members, wrote and edited the copy, created the campaigns in Mailchimp and managed their distribution to members.

I planned and produced regular content across the club’s website, email and social channels. This included blog articles, member updates, event and race announcements, Instagram posts, newsletter copy and press releases.

Social media and content planning

I created and implemented a communications plan to give the club’s social activity greater structure and consistency.

I planned and published regular Instagram content covering club news, member achievements, upcoming races, events and community activities. I also developed blog content and press releases and supported the promotion of club-organised races through social media and local PR.

I also created simple brand guidelines covering logo use, colour palette, typography and example applications. This gave the club a clearer and more consistent visual identity across its website, email, social media and promotional materials.

During my tenure, Instagram profile visits increased by 500% and followers grew by 50%.

Marketing materials and event promotion

I designed promotional leaflets for club events and races, translating practical information into clear, visually consistent materials that could be shared online and within the local community.

This involved refining the messaging, applying the club’s branding and creating accessible layouts in Canva. I coordinated with committee members to confirm dates, event details and calls to action before publication.

Coordination and delivery

The role involved attending regular committee meetings, gathering information from different stakeholders and managing communications around fixed dates and events.

I worked independently while ensuring that content was accurate, timely and aligned with the needs of the club and its members.

The outcome

The project created a more consistent communications system across the website, email, social media and promotional materials.

It demonstrates my ability to take ownership of ongoing marketing delivery, coordinate with stakeholders and manage several channels within an established organisation.

Capabilities demonstrated

Squarespace · WordPress · Website planning · CMS management · Mailchimp · Email marketing · Newsletter design · Instagram · Social media content · Communications planning · Canva · Leaflet design · Marketing materials · Copywriting · Blog content · Event promotion · Local PR · Stakeholder coordination

Selected links

• View the South Cheshire Harriers website