This week’s blog was written by our Communications Officer, Niamh.
Niamh joined the team back in June, in this blog she shares how she has found the first two months working at Beacon.
Niamh oversees the charity’s day-to-day communications, including our social media channels, website, newsletters and also coordinates our weekly blog and guest blogs.
My first two months working as Beacon’s new Communications Officer have been amazing! In the short space of time that I have been here, I have developed an understanding of the important role communications play in the rare disease space.
From immersing myself into the community I have learnt that every member has their own unique story, but it is evident that coming together and sharing these experiences can make such a huge difference.
Being completely new to this field, working at Beacon has opened my eyes to the importance of advocating for rare diseases. I was surprised to learn that 1 in 17 people will be affected by a rare disease in their lifetime. This figure alone demonstrates just how vital it is for these patients to be recognised, understood and given a voice.
Although I have only been in my new role for a short period of time, it is already clear that even whilst facing unprecedented challenges, the community radiates positivity, understanding and kindness. It really is a pleasure to be a part of it!
It has been great to connect with lots of members of the wider rare disease community and I look forward to speaking to more of you soon! Every person I have spoken to has been extremely friendly and has spoken so highly of Beacon. Thank you for making me feel welcome!
Since joining the team at Beacon, everyone has been so welcoming, friendly and helpful. I feel very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful team. Working in this position has shown me that no two days here are the same; there is always something new to learn, a different challenge to get involved in – making every day exciting!
In my first two months of being here, I am already beginning to learn so many new skills! There are many opportunities to learn new things. Some aspects that I aim to develop my knowledge in are graphic design, copywriting, SEO and analytics.
I feel grateful to be given the opportunity to learn and apply these skills to ensure that I can support Beacon in making a positive difference to the community within my role as Communications Officer.
As the digital world continues to rapidly grow, it is great to be able to use this space in my role for a truly positive reason. By storytelling, raising awareness and advocating for change, we can continue to deliver our mission at Beacon so that no one walks their rare journey alone.
Thank you to Niamh for sharing your first two months with us, we hope you enjoyed hearing about how Niamh has found her new role!
