This event took place on 25 September 2025 and all registered delegates were sent direct access details for the recordings. Please only book your place here if you missed the event the first time round.
Co-producing content with people who have lived experience is a powerful way to make your comms more authentic, effective and inclusive. But it can be hard to know how best to start working in this new, more equitable way.
At this seminar, we share practical insights and inspiring case studies on how to work with people with lived experience in your comms. You’ll gain practical advice on embedding co-production into your comms processes, learn from real-world examples of best practice, and leave with new ideas on how to shift from top-down messaging to truly participatory comms.
Whether you’re working on creative, brand, PR or social media, to make day-to-day content more inclusive and relevant, this seminar will help you to understand co-production as a powerful and positive tool for change.
This event is free for all CharityComms members.
This talk explores what it really means to shift power in collaborative communications processes. Drawing on real-world experience, Brand by Me shows how traditional approaches can reinforce inequity, even when lived experience is supposedly “included”. We unpack the power imbalances between charities, agencies, and communities, and share practical ways to move from tokenism to true collaboration. Learn how to build truly inclusive comms processes which centre, not extract, lived experiences. In this talk, Hannah shows how small charity, Youth Concern, worked with young people to develop their new brand which is due to be launched in October 2025. Despite the challenges, this project was uncompromising in its inclusive approach to keep young people at the centre of the rebrand from start to finish. Hannah shows how they worked around the obstacles, to co-produce a brand that everyone can be proud of and which will truly resonate with its audiences. She shares the inside track on the processes they used throughout and offers her top tips for any charity considering a rebrand with people at its heart. Even if you’re not considering a rebrand, there is plenty to learn about inclusive comms practices from this talk! What happens when you stop leading with assumptions and start listening differently? In this session, Phil shares how Mind built a storytelling function rooted in co-creation. Drawing on years of experience in the stories and content space, he reflects on the habits the sector has built, and how unlearning them opened the door to more equitable, inclusive, and collaborative storytelling. You’ll leave with fresh ideas and inspiration to rethink how your team approaches story work.
Adeela Warley 
main stage host, CharityComms
Collette Philip
founder, Brand by MeCollette Philip
founder, Brand by MeAdeela Warley
main stage host, CharityComms
Hannah Asquith
CEO, Youth ConcernHannah Asquith
CEO, Youth ConcernAdeela Warley
main stage host, CharityComms
Phil Marley
voices manager, MindPhil Marley
voices manager, MindAdeela Warley
main stage host, CharityCommsAdeela Warley
main stage host, CharityComms
With thanks to our sponsors:
Brand by Me is a multi award-winning brand consultancy that helps marketing and comms leaders build anti-racist, inclusive brands. We partner with mission-driven organisations to create brands that drive real change inside and out, covering everything from positioning and strategy to messaging and visual identity. Our approach puts lived experiences at the heart of everything we do. Through consultancy, workshops, training, and ongoing support, we help teams embed equity and anti-racism into their everyday work, so it’s not just what you say, but what you do.
We’re delighted to sponsor this CharityComms event – do find out more and get in touch at brandbyme.co.uk