Tillymint founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes is on course for an awards hat-trick after major regional and national recognition over recent weeks. Alison won gold at the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Midlands Awards in last month and was named in the Independent Impact 50 Awards, last week, which recognises the UK’s most influential independent PR […]

Over the past year, public speaking has become a much bigger part of my professional life. As Chair of CIPR Midlands, I’ve found myself opening events, introducing speakers, leading discussions and representing the region at industry gatherings. Alongside that, I’ve contributed through my role on the Local Area Advisory Board for Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, […]

Tillymint Marketing & PR founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes has been awarded Gold in the Independent Practitioner of the Year category at the CIPR Midlands Awards 2026, sponsored by Press Loft. The award recognises outstanding achievement in independent public relations practice and celebrates practitioners delivering exceptional results for clients while demonstrating professionalism, innovation and commitment to the […]

Tillymint Marketing & PR founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes has been appointed Chair of CIPR Midlands for 2026, following a successful year serving as Co-Chair alongside Seb Greene. During 2025, the Midlands committee focused on strengthening engagement across the region, welcoming new volunteers and expanding opportunities for PR professionals at every stage of their career. The committee […]

Recognition honours bold thinking, client impact and outstanding contribution to the PR profession The founder of Tillymint Marketing & PR, has been named one of the 50 most influential independent consultants in the UK, as part of the inaugural Independent Impact 50. This prestigious new accolade celebrates the extraordinary influence that independent practitioners have on […]

Tillymint Marketing & PR founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes has been appointed Co-Chair of CIPR Midlands for 2025. Having volunteered with the regional committee for several years, Alison and fellow Co-Chair, Seb Greene, will help lead the group’s programme of professional development, networking and industry events for PR practitioners across the Midlands. The appointment reflects Alison’s long-standing […]

Tillymint founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes reflects on three days at the Pet & Aquatics Trade Show So, it’s all over for another year! However, now that the dust is starting to settle, I thought I would reflect on my key takeaways from PATS 2024. First of all, the event itself was bigger than ever before – more […]

Tillymint will be among the exhibitors for PATS 2024 (Pet and Aquatics Trade Show) which takes place at the Telford International Centre, 29 September – 1 October. We’ll be in our usual place, Stand P12, not far from the entrance to Hall 3. We look forward to seeing you there. If you are attending and […]

Tillymint Communications has won a coveted industry award for the second year running!  We clinched the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Independent Practitioner of the Year title, at the Midlands Pride Awards. Judges were impressed how we “met each challenge head on” and highlighted our “excellent growth and results for clients against a planned delivery […]

We’re overwhelmed by our awards achievements this year – as finalists in four leading industry awards, three of them for the second year running. Earlier in the year, Tillymint Communications made the finals of the 2023 CIPR Excellence Awards and the Express & Star Business Awards (ESBA) across four different categories. These included Independent PR […]

We did it! We achieved triple success – one gold and two silver awards – at the CIPR Pride Awards. They were revealed during a screening event at Birmingham’s Millennium Point which was hosted by CIPR Midlands. The event created such a sense of occasion as assembled PR professionals from around the region filed into […]

Why do some pet companies grab all the headlines? When you flick through the pet press you may see the same names crop up again and again. This isn’t necessarily because they are bigger, more innovative or creative – they simply use the power of public relations (PR) to promote their offer, enhance their brand […]

Our personal reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II may have taken us by surprise – be it emotional or reflective. No one can doubt the impact of such a long-standing Monarch who has spanned generations and been part of the fabric of our society and culture – the very weft and weave of […]

Specialist Pet PR provider, Tillymint Communications, is among a host of new businesses taking part in the UK’s leading pet industry trade show – PATS Telford, being staged this month (25-26 September). It will be demonstrating its range of services to help pet companies grow by increasing their brand awareness and visibility through traditional and […]

April is National Pet Month which aims to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership.  It’s an issue that’s close to our hearts: not only do we specialise in marketing and PR solutions for the pet sector, but all of Tillymint’s team are devoted pet owners which gives us first-hand knowledge of what it takes to […]

Today is Stress Awareness Day but when can pressure provide a positive rather than a negative impact? Last night I dipped into my work’s email (yes, I know I shouldn’t but it’s a bit of an occupational hazard when you run your own business). Sitting there was an email from one of my clients flagging […]

I once worked with a man who hated cold callers…he would pick up the phone and soon the interrogation and expletives would follow. He seemed to get off on this little power trip, shocking the caller into submission and making those around him embarrassed and uncomfortable. No-one appreciates unsolicited calls, especially those made to your […]

When I launched my marketing communications business, I wanted to give it a name that had a personal connection, an affinity with who I am…and so I called it Tillymint. This always triggers a conversation, because those who are familiar with my home city are very likely to be familiar with the name. Quite simply, […]

There are probably many reasons why CIPR practitioners embark on the journey to Chartership: career development, advancement, management… but for me, it was personal. I’ve worked in communications for more than 30 years – initially as a newspaper journalist and then in public relations, through a variety of different roles: in-house and agency, public sector […]

Things that you do when you visit the seaside: Walk on the beach Build sand castles Fly a kite Have a picnic Play frisbee Or alternatively, sit in front of a computer and take part in #CommsHero week 2020. Now, this might not sound like a well-considered plan, but I had been stuck at home […]

Over the past couple of weeks I have been the recipient and benefactor of valuable career mentoring. Any step change requires us to think and act differently but one thing is certain, as we set out on a new journey, we are inevitably retracing somebody else’s already well-trodden path. Their priceless experience can provide us […]

Tillymint’s founder, Alison Gallagher-Hughes, provides a personal take on work and wellbeing “I’ll grab me coat“. That famous punchline from TV’s The Fast Show suddenly sprang to mind today when the dog lead was dangled in front of my nose. I had been working from home with my blinkers on progressing my endless ‘to do’ […]

This week we have taken part in lot of webinars and it has prompted us to consider how we assess their value and allocate time accordingly. Now, we like free stuff as much as the next person and the lure of a ‘free’ presentation or masterclass can very appealing but not all these sessions present […]