The company, run by Alison Gallagher-Hughes, has been shortlisted in the Independent Practitioner category of the CIPR Excellence Awards 2024. The awards represents global recognition from the world’s only chartered PR organisation – the Chartered Institute of Public Relations - and attract a huge number of entries.

Alison, works mainly with business-to-business clients in the pet industry. She scooped the CIPR’s Independent Practitioner regional title  - PRide - for the past two years and is hoping that 2024 will take her to the top for the international award.

Tillymint is one of six contenders - the winner is selected following a rigorous panel interview with judges  - and will be announced at a glitzy awards ceremony, at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, on 26 June. This year, the ceremony, is being hosted by comedian Axel Blake.

Alison founded Tillymint Communications in 2020. She was previously Head of PR for a full-service agency and has spent much of her career working ‘in-house’ primarily within the public sector: policing, social housing and further education. She moved into PR following a career in newspaper journalism.

She decided to set up her own business in the wake of the Covid crisis.

“The pandemic brought many businesses to their knees but as the threat lifted, there was a growing need for them to ‘get back in the game’ and actively promote their products and services, so it seemed like the ideal opportunity to start a new chapter by founding Tillymint.

“I look back over the past four years and marvel at how rapidly the business has grown. Our first project was a one-off piece of work for an organisation who soon after became a retained client and they remain with us today. That is incredibly rewarding because the more we work with a particular client the more that trusted relationship develops and we become an outsourced member of their team – always on hand to support and add value to their organisation.

Alison said that she was delighted to be “in the mix” for this year’s CIPR Excellence Awards.

“To be shortlisted in this category is a very great honour. As a Chartered Practitioner, I know how hard CIPR works to establish and maintain professional standards and I am very humbled to be a finalist for a third consecutive year alongside some very worthy contenders.”

Tillymint has exhibited at PATS for the past two years and will be on stand P12 for the 2024 show at the end of September.

For more information on Tillymint services visit: www.tillymint.co.uk