Helen Statham

RECOGNISING THE VITAL AND SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION OUR ALUMNI MAKE

Returning to study after a successful career as a dental nurse, Helen was keen to really make the most of every opportunity that came her way. This positive mindset led to some amazing opportunities and a dream job offer working on an arts and entertainment website straight out of university. Competitive and ambitious by nature, Helen worked her way up the career ladder before setting up her own PR agency working on innovative and creative projects with leading local companies.

Say yes to everything!

Born in 1984 in Ashington Northumberland to parents Alan and Maureen, the family, together with brother Jon, moved to Carlisle when Helen was 10 years old.   

Aged 15 Helen secured work experience at Cumbrian Newspapers working for editor Nick Turner. The experience sparked an interest, but a job in media seemed far from attainable.  

Helen trained to be a dental nurse after leaving school, working her way up to team leader. Realising, that if she wanted to climb the career ladder further she had to go to university. Her now husband Rob was working in the events industry, and this inspired her, Helen enrolled on the Performance Festivals and Events degree at Brampton Road. 

Helen and Rob were married on Friday 16 September 2011 and she started her course the following Monday, she often jokes that university was her honeymoon!  

Having gone to university as a mature student, aged 26, she was older than most on her course. Helen knew what she really wanted to do and took the opportunity seriously. A diligent and accomplished student, Helen gained a first for every assignment she handed in.   

Encouraged by course leader Laura Baxter, Helen’s ethos at university was ‘say yes to everything’. This led to work experience at a major festival, Tullie House Museum, marketing with a local hotel and market research with a local designer. Helen graduated in 2014 not only with a first-class degree but with over two years of work experience.  

At the same time Helen started a fashion and lifestyle blog. Entering a blog competition with Cumbrian Newspapers led to a dream job offer after graduation, working on their arts and entertainment website Cumbria Live. Her manager was again Nick Turner, which appeared, at the time, to be a full-circle moment.  

Helen worked for Cumbrian Newspapers for three years. She later moving to Fika and Co, a small app development company where she worked on content and social media marketing.  

Inspired by the many small business owners and events professionals she met through her course, by her different work experience placements, by Rob, and motivated by her own ambitious and determined nature she decided to set up on her own and go freelance. Helen’s idea was to provide PR and social media to events.  

Nick Turner, her manager during her work experience when she was 15, and her first job out of university, was also embarking on a freelance career at that time and asked her if she wanted to work together. In December 2017 Intro PR and Social Media LTD was launched.  

Intro is based in Carlisle city centre and employs 12 staff. Helen thrives on the challenge of creating creative and quirky campaigns. Describing herself as competitive, Helen wants to be the best she can be.  

At Intro Helen has created some very innovative projects. The Kinder Shop in collaboration with the Cumberland Building Society, was the world’s first shop where people could pay with kindness. Generating over 2,000 volunteer hours and lots of positive publicity.  

Grand Days Out, a project with Stagecoach and Age UK taking over 65s on day trips out. Resulting in extensive media coverage and helping over 300 pensioners explore our region by bus.    

Since graduating, Helen has worked with the university, at alumni networking events, providing profiles and talking to students at careers days. Helen works with students on the Historic Quarter Arts Festival annually and students use a pop up exhibition space at Intro’s offices. Now a mother to Kitty aged 5 and Finn 3 months, family is Helen’s main motivation. 

Find Intro PR and Social Media here.