Ben Rogers, account director at Antidote Communications: “This year hasn’t been the easiest for me personally, and I’ve previously been guilty of bottling things up at work, rather than talking openly about my wellbeing. That changed this year and a big reason is having my line manager Alex Sedgemore there to support me.

“That’s ranged from listening when I needed to talk and pushing me to step outside of my comfort zone to offering advice that’s helped me deliver when I’ve been far from 100%. She was even a sounding board when I was asked to be a guest on GoodEnoughChats, a men’s mental health podcast, earlier this year. I had my reservations initially but she was central to making the decision to go for it, and doing so made a huge difference to my own wellbeing.

“So thank you Alex. You’re an absolute gem of a line manager and a great friend to boot.”

Joe Krasean, PR account manager at Black Unicorn PR, on behalf of the entire agency said: "In short, Nataliia is an amazing person and a fantastic PR. She's tireless, thorough, incisive, and experienced. She works circles around me and she elevates my own work. We are a good team together. I do the things she doesn't like to do and vice versa, but honestly she's at least 75% of the driving force in our little duo.

"In addition to being generally awesome, Nataliia lives in Kyiv! So she's been under constant stress from Russian aggression for the last few years. She takes it all in stride but obviously the danger is very real.
What's more, she recently had a major setback when a member of her family was diagnosed with an intense illness that will require months of hospital treatment. I don't want to go into too much detail on this last point, but it's a major kick in the teeth.

"She has had to step back a little bit from her full time duties at Black Unicorn, but she's still constantly checking in and adding value to projects and accounts whenever she can. Even Nataliia at 25% capacity is a major boost to our agency. I know that my colleagues would agree.

"In short, I just want to say Thank You to Nataliia from myself and from my entire agency. And I want to say that we are thinking about her all the time and feeling ashamed that we can't support her more. When it rains, it pours, and it's certainly pouring on Nataliia right now. There must be brighter days ahead for her, because she's certainly deep in the shit right now.

"She would hate this attention and characterization of her situation though! Her attitude always remains magnanimous and humble. She's gold!"

Matthew Healey, account manager at Firefly Communications: "In a busy year, the two have remained a consistent source of inspiration for everyone here at Firefly, keeping momentum going and making sure everyone is happy, growing, and moving in the right direction. 

"They go above and beyond for all around them, clients and colleagues alike, and are an absolute joy to work with. I’ve definitely benefited from their advice at multiple points in the past: the push to demand more from myself, and all the while they remain the kindest, hardest working colleagues you could ask for. Hope they, and everyone in the world of PR, have a lovely (and hopefully restful) holiday break!"

Oliver Johnston, PR executive at Wild PR said: "First of all, I'd love to thank Katie Mallinson, she not only helped inspire my love of the field, but saw something in me and is always there to help guide me, getting me in the door at what would go onto be my fist job as an exec, through to supporting me when facing redundancy, she's always been there to support me and cheer me on!

"Second, I want to thank Katrina Cliffe, she took a chance on an English graduate with no PR experience and gave me every tool and opportunity needed to succeed, as well as the space to feel free to ask any questions needed, and if it wasn't for her, I would still be fighting for my life to break into the industry."

Becky Attwood from Attwood Communications said: "Being a freelancer can be lonely, but Liz and Isabel are always there if I need a chat, a rant, or a sounding board. They are also freelancers and so know the challenges. We’ve been able to band together and support each other this year when deciding what to do with difficult clients, the gut-wrench when I’ve lost work or when I’ve needed inspiration for an intro or a headline. 

"And they’re also there to celebrate the wins too, which is just as important. We’ve also worked together on projects, which is simply a joy! The WhatsApp group is used almost daily, and we try to meet up in a coworking space every month, these little things make being a freelance PR easier. They’ve both had their personal challenges this year, but they’ve never not supported me, and for that, I want to say a massive festive cheers very much."

Tania Cutress, business development and marketing manager at Babel PR: "A huge, heartfelt festive ‘fank you’ to the team at Babel; specifically Jenny Mowat and Narelle Morrison. 

"In the freelance world, loyalty can feel rare. we often expect to be treated as transactional resources. When I stepped away to have my baby, I was fully prepared to rebuild my client base from the ground up upon my return, a daunting prospect for any working parent.

"But, instead of battling that added stress, Babel blew me away. I wasn’t just welcomed back but met with genuine humanity and immediate access to meaty, exciting opportunities. Their support turned a potentially stressful career reset into a seamless career progression. Babel’s actions are a powerful reminder that treating freelancers and working parents the right way isn’t just a nicety, it’s life-changing."