Gavin Sheppard

Director of Marketing and Communications Services

I am responsible for Media Trust’s digital media work with disadvantaged and isolated communities across England. I also lead our marketing and communications services to the third sector (including training and resources, media volunteers, Press Association partnership Community Newswire, and the national Capacitybuilders marketing and communications workstream).

Having studied design and communications, I spent several years working in agencies, before joining St. John Ambulance as Head of Marketing, where I was responsible for developing the regional commercial businesses (in training, medical and social care services) and for public and media relations, and managing a major national strategic review.

More recently I spent five years at the Chamber of Commerce, responsible at board level for overseeing marketing, communications and development of the organisation’s significant commercial training, membership and trade divisions. During this period we won national accolades, including recognition in the B2B brand of the year awards.

I have been a non-executive director of a rural community council and an advisory board member at the Government’s Business Link service, I have written about and commented on marketing and communications issues for national publications, and have chaired a number of marketing groups, forums and conferences.

I live in Berkshire with a very excitable spaniel and kitten who is scared of spiders.

The communities I am part of are… 30-something Queen fans, Media Trust team, the recently converted to Fleetwood Mac and a silent community who get on the train every morning

My chosen form of communication is… in person or in writing… I’m not great on the phone

When I communicate digitally, I prefer… prolific text messaging!