We are delighted this month to welcome two new faces to the CRNS Team.
Sarah Case joins as our Communications and Campaigns Officer, this is a brand new post and we are super excited about the new opportunities it will bring for us and our member network. We also welcome Jed Alexander who is our Robertson Trust Intern this year, Jed will be with us for 8 weeks over the summer. We thought is would be great for Sarah and Jed to introduce themselves personally:
Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m CRNS’s new Communications and Campaigns Officer. My friends often tell me that I’m a good listener. The most important part of communications is listening first, so I hope that means I’m a good communicator, too! Achieving great communications and campaigns also means knowing your voice, your audience, the landscape of the sector, finding the right timing, the right words… but all of that is made much easier when you’re working with the right people. The team at CRNS really know their stuff. They know the members, their policy, everything there is to know about the circular economy, and importantly for me, how to make a new staff member feel welcome.
Leaving University with a degree in Sociology, I was acutely aware of the injustice and inequality in our society. I wanted to help, but wasn’t sure how. Knowing that I could write and create, I found some internships and short-term posts in social media management and digital marketing. I was able to secure my first role in the third sector for a charity supporting care experienced children and young people, and have worked in various charities ever since. From helping care experienced young people share their stories with the First Minister, to supporting life-changing community development projects and helping save thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill, there’s lots I’m proud of in my career.
Despite finding my vocation in environmental and social justice, it can feel overwhelming knowing how far we have to go; how much there is to achieve. A huge topic in climate change is the impact our lifestyles, social structures and corporations are having on the planet vs what action is being taken. CRNS’s vision of a waste free future is something I’m invested in. Our members demonstrate a new way of working. A circular solution to the problem of waste. Their entrepreneurship, focusing on the circular and wellbeing economy, sets a precedent and benchmark for the rest of society.
It’s this kind of positivity in the sector that gives me a lot of hope for the future, and determination to excel in my new role. Listening is the key to good communications, and I’m looking forward to listening to my colleagues and our members, who I’m excited to meet over the coming weeks and months. When we cross paths, let me know how you envision us working together in the future. I’m all ears!
Hello! My name is Jed Alexander and I am CRNS’s new intern this summer. I am 20 years old and have just finished my third year at Stirling University studying for a Management Degree. I am a Robertson Trust scholar which I am super grateful for, they have supported me throughout my university experience and were the ones who put me in touch with CRNS initially so I feel lucky to be part of their programme!
My 8-week internship with CRNS is all about researching and reporting on the impact tool libraries and lending libraries are having on Scotland’s circular economy. Tool libraries and lending libraries benefit their local communities and the environment in a number of different ways and effectively communicating their impacts is critical to their success. I look forward to learning more about these “Libraries of Things” and visiting some when I get the chance to get a good insight into their daily activities that contribute to their work.
Mapping the locations and current activities of existing tool libraries in Scotland is one of my first tasks, if you have a tool or lending library you think we should be mapping then please do get in touch with me, it would be great to hear from you.