Monday
AM:
I start the day checking the dedicated members' email inbox and reply to a couple of queries. I like dealing with them as I really feel I’m helping members and I get the chance to chat to them and hear about the inspiring work they’re doing. I make sure each enquiry is logged on our CRM - it’s important we can pick up trends in what members need from us and that we can monitor engagement. Then it’s straight into a short team meeting going through objectives and actions for the week. I enjoy these meetings as I get to catch up with my colleagues and hear what they’ve been up to. I always leave these meetings feeling energised and connected to my team, which is important when working remotely.
After a quick cup of coffee, I open my CRM dashboard and carry out my weekly checks on membership data and event bookings. I call a new member to introduce myself and make sure they’re settling into Locality. They have a question about one of our Special Interest Groups, so I send them a quick email with links to our website, a group directory and notes from the most recent meeting.
PM:
I check the members’ inbox again and mark any queries I’m not able to deal with so my colleagues can help – they’ll make sure I see a copy of their answer so I can learn what I could say next time. I’ve got a query to deal with from one colleague in Bristol – he’s looking for a local member interested in AI to work on a project with the university. I give him a call and we discuss some possibilities and agree a short action plan for getting a member onboarded and involved in the work. I finish the day with a bit of data cleaning – there are often updates to contact details and communications lists and, as it’s important to keep on top of these, I like to do a little every day.
Tuesday
AM:
There’s an online member discussion on social prescribing on Thursday so, after I’ve checked the members’ inbox for any outstanding queries, I make sure the slides for the presentations have all been received and are stored in the correct place. I’m chairing the meeting, so I write my introduction and check everything’s set up correctly for the Zoom meeting. We want to make sure members speak freely, so I make sure Zoom isn’t set to auto–record.
I’m also working with the Membership Manager on a satisfaction survey today. Together we check the questions, then I create and download the reports we’ll use to send it out via our CRM. We’ve identified some changes we need to make to the form we use, so I carry out some editing then test the mapping and workflows. I update our webpage showing events and add a new event once I’ve checked for clashes, created a booking form and booked Zoom. I have a Teams meeting with our Digital and Marketing Officer to discuss how we can publicise the event, then write some copy to include in our next member mailing.
PM:
I have my weekly meeting with the Membership Manager on Teams. We discuss the new group we’re running for members who run community gardens. I update on how I’ve set up our CRM to record participants, my ideas for content and go through a list I’ve researched of organisations running community gardens who aren’t yet members – this new group could be a way of getting them in to membership!
I post a question from a member in our Facebook group and spend some time liking and commenting on members’ posts.
I attend an online Neurodiversity training session. It’s really interesting and I take some time afterwards to reflect and think about any changes I can make to our processes. I email the Membership Manager with a suggestion.
A quick check of the members’ in box, then it’s time to leave for the day.
Wednesday
AM:
I spend some time preparing data to include in our Board of Trustees report – I’m identifying geographical areas in the Index of Multiple Deprivation of levels 1 and 2 where we have a low number of members and suggesting an action plan for growth. I also send out regular contact emails to members using a schedule I created last month. Then it’s on to a short online meeting with a community centre interested in learning more about our member offer – it’s great to be able to pick out some key member benefits and show how they would benefit from access to our Essentials membership package. The members' inbox is quiet, but I make sure I check it as I’m keen members always get a nice quick response.
PM:
It’s a finance afternoon for me. I send out renewal notices and invoices. I check the information in each is correct on our CRM and make sure any notes are recorded. I have a Teams call with the Membership Manager as I have a question about one of them. I check all new members have been added to our fees spreadsheet and liaise with the finance team on a couple of outstanding queries. I then check in with colleagues who are providing support through our Membership Plus package – I need to ensure support has been delivered and all internal invoicing has been carried out. I talk to the Senior Data Officer about ideas I have for streamlining a process and we look at how this could be automated using our CRM.
Thursday
AM:
This morning I’m creating content for our online newsletter. I use online tools and bulletins to identify funding that might help members and write a profile of a member organisation that has recently been featured by the BBC – I’m really pleased about this as I worked with colleagues in the Marketing and Policy teams to get this feature made.
Next, it’s on to recruitment. I review my pipeline of potential organisations and scope put content for an online recruitment event I’m running in a week. There are three applications to review and process so I make sure they’re done and put time in my diary to call new members and welcome them.
There’s just time before lunch to answer some member queries – one of them is quite complex so I give the member a call; is it’s more personal than just emailing.
PM:
This afternoon it’s our online member event. As I’m chairing, I check the delegate list – I’ve worked hard over the part few weeks to make sure members know about the event and are booked on. After a quick tech check with the speakers I start the meeting – it’s great to listen to member views, help tease out issues and think about ways we can help.
Friday
It’s an early start for me as I’m off to Sheffield to visit three members. Finding out what makes them tick and what support they need is key to making sure our membership offer adds value. It’s great to see their work in person – and of course enjoy a slice of cake at the great community café run by one of them!
On the train home, I read through a draft report written by colleagues in the Policy team and add comments and suggestions prior to publication.
Time to complete my timesheet. I’ve also got some expenses to submit from an event I attended last week. My train tickets were organised for me by our booking agent, but I needed to park at the station and I bought lunch. I make sure they’re correctly coded – this event was sponsored so it’s important they fall on the right line of the budget. Then I end the day by checking the members’ inbox and responding to all emails before signing off for the week.