About Neil Hickson

This site is mainly about how I can help you and your organisation achieve its goals. I strongly feel that because organisations are primarily interested in improving themselves (quite rightly) websites should be about YOU and how I can help YOU.

However, I also know that people deal with people and you may want to know more about me and my experience. Please feel free to read on.

When I left school I went to The Nautical College in Fleetwood to train as a Radio Officer in the Merchant Navy. The course was very practical with sections on electronics, radio, radar equipment repair and maintenance. 

After leaving college, I went to work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office down in Milton Keynes as a Radio Technician in one of their radio transmission stations. 

After a while, I wanted to move back to the North West of England, and started work with a small telecommunications company in Southport, Merseyside. I stayed here for the next 17 years as the company grew from a small local business into a National Company. I started out maintaining and installing telecom systems but worked my way up within the management structure. I used to run equipment technical training courses and eventually became a manager, then the technical director in charge of the engineering department with direct responsibility for around 20 staff. 

In my time at Inter-Group Communications I also spent four years on an Open University degree in Social Sciences and Systems Analysis. Becoming a director of the company diverted my attention from studying, so I never quite finished my degree.

I left Inter-Group Communications to become a Freelance Professional Photographer in June 2000. I worked in various sectors of photography eventually settling in magazine work for county magazines such as Lancashire Life, Cheshire Life, Birmingham Life, Shropshire Life etc.

In 2008 I formed a new company called Creative Mixed Media with a colleague and my wife. We produced videos, animations, websites and online marketing. This is when I first started to work with WordPress websites.

In November 2009, during the recession, I was looking for a change and had a spell working in retail at Marks & Spencer in Preston. Initially, I worked in Technology, selling TV’s, Cameras, Radios and Computers. During my time there I became chair of BIG, the M&S Business Management Group which liaised between the company management and staff.

Whilst at M&S I devised and planned the launch of a ‘not for profit’ social enterprise community farm on some land that my wife inherited. We started Burscough Community Farm in 2013 (initially called Organic Veg Club). I started this enterprise from scratch with a public meeting launch in a local community centre.

I left Mark&Spencer in 2015 to spend a year at BCF as the Grower and Farm Coordinator. During all my time since starting BCF, I have built and maintained the website and created a newsletter with over 400 followers.

In January 2017 I became the part-time grower for Greenslate Community Farm in Billinge, near Wigan. During the winter of 2017-2018, I built Greenslate’s new website and started an e-newsletter. Over the next two years, I increased my digital marketing work at Greenslate to include social media and graphic design.

In March 2019 I completed a four-day course for Digital Leaders in the Third Sector. I also started a copywriting training course which I completed with a distinction in September of 2019. Also, in September 2019 I started my own freelance business called Neil Hickson Digital Marketing Services. I now work for Greenslate Community Farm one day per week as their digital marketing strategist.

I continue to volunteer at Burscough Community Farm 1-2 days per week.

Skills, abilities and special qualities

Marketing

I left my post as Technical Director at Inter-Group Communications back in 2000 because I wanted to get into marketing. Initially, I took the route in photography, but by 2008-9 Creative Mixed Media moved us into the content marketing sector.

I have always been passionate about marketing. Using visual media, social media and the internet as marketing tools has consumed my interest for over 20 years now. I was a copywriter long before I knew what one was, writing blogs, websites and e-newsletters for my own business and other businesses.

I recently completed a copywriting course because I wanted to gain some qualifications in marketing. I see copywriting as being at the heart of all marketing. Whatever medium you want to use for marketing; video, audio, print, internet or social media, they all need the skills of copywriting to be effective. 

Writing

I have been writing for business for over 25 years. I used to run an internal newsletter at Inter-Group Communications. I wanted to be a writer before I wanted to become a photographer. I started my own blog when I became a professional photographer back in 2000.

When I started Burscough Community Farm, I began a website/blog for the organisation as well as an e-newsletter. I’ve written press releases and used social media to successfully promote the farm since it started in 2013.

I built, maintain and have written the content for Greenslate Community Farm’s website since October 2017, as well as produced an e-newsletter. I set up e-commerce on the site in March 2018. Since then I have put all the event products on the site, written product descriptions, produced artwork to go on all the different print and social media platforms. As I write this (January 2020) the website has taken over £18,000.00 pounds of revenue since I launched it.

I completed a copywriting course with CTL in September 2019, earning a distinction. I have now started my own copywriting and photography based digital marketing freelance business in September 2019.

Digital media

I worked as a full-time professional freelance photographer from 2000 until 2009. I still take on photographic assignments as part of my digital marketing services business. In the past I have produced and edited video with Apple’s Final Cut Pro, created animations with Adobe After-Effects and produced illustrations with Adobe Illustrator.  

I started building self-hosted WordPress websites in 2009 and now use both Elementor and Divi graphical interfaces to build dynamic, responsive websites. 

During my time as a photographer and with my company Creative Mixed Media, I was an advanced photoshop user on the Mac platform. With less need for this software these days, I use Canva to produce lots of artwork and graphics for my websites and social media content.

I completed a four-day ‘Digital Leader for the Third Sector’ course in March 2019. This course covered all aspects of using digital communications and media by charities and not-for-profit organisations. By the end of the course, I had developed a digital strategy for the two social enterprises that I am associated with.

Environmental sustainability

I have been interested in environmental issues and sustainability as long as I can remember. When we had the amazing opportunity to start our own farm in 2013, it had to be organic and environmentally sustainable.

I’ve studied Permaculture, and our farm uses Permaculture principles for its design. The farm is completely off-grid. We use harvested rainwater for irrigation. We have planted over 5000 trees for coppice and conservation hedgerows. Our electricity is provided by a solar PV system, and we are currently constructing a 2kW wind turbine for the site.

I attended a wind turbine construction course hosted by CAfS in Penrith in 2018.

Management and People

I am well known for my calm problem-solving and people-centred approach to management. I love being part of a team, but I can take the initiative to work independently; nine years as a freelance proves this. 

Both community farms I am associated with host people with learning difficulties, and help people in recovery. My empathy and people skills are well-developed.

I am happy to take the lead and to speak up when called upon. I have run courses in my past career in telecommunications and I have recently run group courses teaching people wooden spoon carving.

I love doing public speaking and presentations. Over the last three years, I have delivered presentations to seminars and community groups on the subjects of photography, digital marketing, market gardening, Google Forms, healthy living and renewable energy.

If you are looking for the skills I have, please get in touch.