Hi everyone, it’s Hester here – Comms Partner for The Grocery Girls. Most of you know me as the one on the other side of the screen, making everything GG happen.

I’ve been doing this since August 2019, and it’s been an incredible experience. The first six months were as busy as I expected, spent setting up all our comms, planning an amazing festive networking event in London and generally getting my head round the role. This time last year, I was ready to take on 2020 with a calendar full of live events and a clear plan of how to bring our community together and continue growing. Big lesson learnt: there’s a balance to be struck between being prepared and preparing to flex!

I’ve learnt so much, and I’ve loved taking on the challenge of running a non-profit with big ambitions. It’s been so rewarding to connect with and get to know so many members of the community, and the stories I’ve shared have inspired me as much as I hope they have you.

I’ve decided it’s time for my next challenge, so I’m saying a fond farewell to you as your Comms Partner. I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved as a network, and here are my highlights:

• Events: bringing you together in London for the first time pre-pandemic, and then creating a space for anyone anywhere to join us via our virtual events. We raised over £500 for various charities in 2020 alone, making a difference for women in grocery and beyond
• #GGFest especially: we crashed into the virtual events world with a whole festival! It certainly was scary, but we hit the ground running and pulled off something really impactful. After such success, we’re planning another instalment of #GGFest. Stay tuned for more info coming soon
• Newsletter: we regularly get emails from readers saying how much they enjoy making a cuppa and having a read through our monthly emails. If you haven’t signed up already, check it out! For me, being able to reach out and connect with you every month has been a lifeline during the weirdness of this past year
• And my firm favourite, my heart and soul, The Grocery Girls podcast: I’ve always dreamed of hosting a podcast, and the first lockdown gave me the space to explore and teach myself how to interview, record, edit and publish from home. I’m so proud that we’ve found a way to share open and insightful interviews with inspiring voices in grocery. We’ve had over 3,000 listens and have been rated #9 globally for grocery podcasts, so we feel like we’re doing something right!

I’m sure whoever takes over the reins will do a wonderful job – stay tuned as I’m sure they’ll introduce themselves soon. In the meantime, Verity will still be on hand to help – you can get in touch via the normal email address or on social media.

I wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks to you all; everyone who’s attended an event, read a blog, listened to a podcast or taken in the newsletter – you’ve been a joy! I can’t wait to watch the network grow and thrive even further.

Best wishes, Hester x