Rachel is an experienced marketing and communications professional, chartered marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She began her career in education and publishing, and spent a number of years leading on pupil recruitment and stakeholder communications in schools before working as a consultant supporting senior leaders and governors with strategy, engagement and recruitment projects. In 2020 Rachel completed an MSc in Charity Marketing and took up the role of Head of Marketing and Communications for UK Community Foundations.

She now runs her own consultancy business, supporting charities on strategy development, stakeholder engagement and creating compelling communications. She also serves, part time, as the Executive Director of the Choir Schools’ Association, a small grant making charity which supports cathedral choristers and champions the UK’s choral tradition.

Rachel lives and works in the beautiful city of York where she’s a charity trustee and a school governor.

Hannah Lyons is a Partner in the Charity and Social Enterprise Department at Bates Wells. She has worked in the charity sector for over 12 years and advises charities and non-profits on a range of legal issues. Hannah has a particular specialism in fundraising law and regulation, particularly as it relates to data protection and direct marketing.

She regularly advises on data protection aspects of fundraising campaigns, supporter profiling activities and ICO, Fundraising Regulator and Charity Commission investigations. Hannah is the author of the ‘Data Protection for Charities’ practice note for the Practical Law Company (PLC) and undertook the legal edit of ‘Data Protection for Voluntary Organisations’, published by the Directory for Social Change. She is a regular speaker at conferences and events.