Deanways

About me

I’m Dean Samways, a London-based senior digital content, marketing and communications professional offering practical, thoughtful support to charities, NGOs, campaign groups and mission-led organisations.

I have more than 20 years’ experience helping organisations explain their work clearly, reach the right audiences and build trust through useful, accessible and engaging content. My background covers digital content, website management, editorial planning, SEO, analytics, newsletters, social media, campaigns, content strategy and audience engagement.

Most recently, I worked as Digital Content Manager at the RSA, where I helped turn complex ideas, research, programmes and campaigns into clearer and more engaging content for public audiences. I have also worked with organisations including The King’s Fund, Which?, Connected Places Catapult and UCL Innovation & Enterprise, giving me experience across charities, public-interest organisations, health, consumer rights, innovation, education and public engagement.

I am currently between roles, which gives me a valuable opportunity to stay active, useful and connected to purpose-led work through volunteering. I can probably commit around five to 10 hours per week, depending on the organisation, project and level of support needed. I am open to both remote volunteering and London-based opportunities.

I can help organisations improve how they explain what they do, engage supporters, make website content easier to find and understand, plan campaigns, strengthen social media activity and communicate complex work in plain English. I am especially useful for organisations that know their work matters but struggle to explain it clearly online.

Over my career, I have managed websites, blogs, newsletters, social media content, digital campaigns, content migrations, online publications, case studies, stakeholder content and editorial standards. I have worked with subject-matter experts, senior leaders, contributors, designers, developers, and external partners to turn complex material into content that feels clear, relevant, and useful.

My professional skills include writing, editing, copywriting, content planning, SEO, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Hotjar, WordPress, CMS publishing, user journeys, audience insight, campaign planning, email content, social media, stakeholder management and project delivery. In plain English, this means I can help an organisation work out what to say, who it needs to reach, how to structure content, where to publish it and how to improve it over time.

I am happy to contribute strategically, but I am also very willing to get stuck into practical work. That might mean editing website pages, writing social media posts, reviewing a newsletter, improving campaign copy, planning a blog series, tidying up old content, making a page easier to understand, or helping a small team decide what to prioritise.

I understand the realities many charities face: limited time, limited budgets, small teams, competing priorities and a constant need to communicate clearly without losing warmth or humanity. I can help small charities professionalise their communications without making them feel corporate, impersonal or over-engineered. That could include improving consistency, planning, tone of voice, website structure, campaign messaging, editorial standards, social media activity or basic measurement.

My personal strengths are curiosity, empathy, reliability, calm judgement, clear communication, creativity, attention to detail and collaborative working. I enjoy listening carefully, asking useful questions and helping people turn uncertain ideas into something clear and actionable.

I am especially drawn to volunteering opportunities connected to climate action, social justice, veganism and animal welfare. I am vegan and try to live as sustainably as possible through everyday choices around food, travel, technology, clothing, banking, reuse and repair, so I would be particularly pleased to support organisations working in those areas. I am also open to helping charities and community organisations working across health, poverty, arts, education, public engagement and related causes.

My wider interests include current affairs, digital culture, technology, writing, literature, cinema, alternative music and gaming. I am interested in how people find information, what makes them trust it, and how good communication can help people understand issues that might otherwise feel distant, complicated or overwhelming.

I have also volunteered before. In June 2021, I briefly supported the Dyslexia Association of London with social media marketing, providing both strategic guidance and hands-on delivery. I enjoyed being able to offer useful communications support to a small organisation with a clear purpose.

I would be happy to support either a defined project or provide light-touch ongoing advice, depending on what would be most useful. I can help with digital content, website content, social media, marketing communications, copywriting, campaign content, content strategy, SEO, newsletters, blog editing, audience engagement or communications planning.

Above all, I would like to use my experience practically and generously. I am thoughtful, reliable, easy to work with and keen to support organisations doing work that deserves to be better understood, better found and better supported.

What am I looking for?

I am most interested in supporting causes connected to climate action, social justice, animal welfare, veganism and more sustainable ways of living. These are the areas I feel most personally drawn to, both because they reflect my values and because they involve urgent, practical communication challenges. I am particularly interested in helping organisations explain complex issues clearly, build trust with supporters and encourage people to take meaningful action.

I would also be very happy to support charities, NGOs and community organisations working in health, poverty, education, public engagement, arts and culture, consumer rights, community development and related public-interest causes. I am especially interested in organisations that do important work but may not have the time, budget or specialist communications support to explain it as clearly as they would like.

The roles I am best placed to take on are in digital content, marketing, communications, website content, copywriting, social media, newsletters, SEO, campaign content, blog editing, content strategy and audience engagement. I can help with both practical delivery and light-touch strategic advice. For example, I could edit website pages, write or improve social media posts, review newsletters, support a campaign, help plan blog content, simplify complex information or advise on how to make digital communications clearer and more consistent.

I am particularly useful for organisations that know their work matters but struggle to communicate it clearly online. I can help small teams professionalise their communications without making them feel corporate, impersonal or over-complicated.

I am open to both defined projects and ongoing support, depending on what would be most useful. Above all, I would like to use my experience in a practical, thoughtful and collaborative way to support organisations whose work deserves to be better understood, better found and better supported.

Employment history and examples of work Help

• View CV
• View Dean's LinkedIn

Skills

Causes