Ellen Manning / empr - freelance journalist & PR consultant

10/11/2025

The fact this was published while blissfully spending a weekend pretty much on my tod seems to back up my thinking

Deep down, I’m counting the moments until I can head home and sit in silence, relishing the solitude.

09/11/2025

Throughout my career Remembrance has been a big thing, from marking it at Camp Bastion and forward operating bases in Helmand, to more local stuff in the UK. I just think it's super important to stop for a minute and remember people who gave their lives for others. So putting this together for Yahoo News was more of a privilege than a chore, and a reminder that this act of remembrance has historically brought us all together, no matter what else is going on and how our views differ.

Every year, veterans - in dwindling numbers - are joined by politicians, the Royal Family and the nation in marking Remembrance Sunday

01/11/2025

Latest travel piece for The i paper on a glorious weekend exploring Lichfield. Funny how you can find all sorts of new things in a place you already know when you go as a tourist

Lichfield in Staffordshire is easy to reach by train and was once home to Samuel Johnson and Erasmus Darwin

20/10/2025

I’ve actually wanted to write this piece for yonks - I grew up in the era of being offered a pants cup of instant in places like the hairdresser. But those days are gone, these days you get barista-style coffee wherever you go, from the salon to the tattoo parlour. So I spoke to them about why and how it all works ☕️

From hairdressers to jewellers, high-quality beans are being ground in spaces that may surprise you

19/10/2025

Woefully bad at taking my own advice and doing my own PR so this is as close as it’s going to get in terms of enjoying the fact EMPR has been shortlisted in two categories in the - Best Small Business and Best Home Based Business.

Awards certainly aren’t the be-all-and-end-all and everyone’s got their view on them, but running your own business, especially a very small one, can be a challenging and lonely place - not to mention pretty scary at time. But it’s also the most fulfilling and rewarding thing I’ve ever done, so I’ll take every tiny bit of joy, whether that’s being shortlisted for an award, knowing that a client is chuffed for choosing me to help them, or any other little thing (even doing the admin stuff which is probably the biggest challenge for this non-businessy gal 😬). These certificates also mark a lovely little moment where I’m reminded that I’m now a Cornwall business owner, even if my clients are across the UK and many still back in the Midlands, so hurrah for modern technology and understanding people who’ve don’t mind where you are as long as you’re doing your job.

I very much doubt I’ll win, given the amazing businesses out there, but as long as I can keep doing what I do, adding value to other small businesses, and sticking to my values no matter what, I’ll be happy.

19/10/2025

Great working with to share the launch of their brand new purpose-built studio in Leamington Spa. A huge step for them, and one they undertook after they could so easily have given up. Proof that determination and ambition gets you everywhere.

12/10/2025

A week of plate spinning, general juggling and navigating running a business with what feels like 1.5 legs and an enforced slower pace than usual. But work remains a wonderful distraction from the other stuff I can’t do, and it’s great to get stuck into some big pieces of work with clients.

A fab crisis comms strategy session with one big clients so we’re ready for whatever hits us.

Mapping out the next year of marketing/PR and comms for another long-term client ahead of a big brainstorm next week.

Onboarding a new client for a project announcing their exciting launch.

Organizing press trips and collaborations for a few local clients.

Polishing off features and pitching new ones to nationals with my journo hat on.

Weekly and monthly catch ups - including a fan in-person meeting because they’re always that little bit more fun (especially when lunch is involved).

Pushing ahead with the book and planning out some days purely dedicated to writing and researching.

Business admin and life admin meetings - never the fun stuff but the necessity.

Everyone keeps saying it’s ‘nearly’ the end of the year, but there’s still pretty much all of Q4 to go - let’s do this 🤗🙌

08/10/2025

When work and passion meet

As the weather turns thoroughly autumnal (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, at least) thoughts turn towards warming comfort food. In the latest contribution to our Consuming Passions series, food writer Ellen Manning reflects on the simple pleasures of slow cooking. In a world that rarely....

08/10/2025

As the weather turns thoroughly autumnal (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, at least) thoughts turn towards warming comfort food. In the latest contribution to our Consuming Passions series, food writer Ellen Manning reflects on the simple pleasures of slow cooking. In a world that rarely....

03/10/2025

Latest work for Class Bar Magazine - another hyper local focus, this time for spirits. Always a pleasure, never a chore

22/09/2025

I seem to be back in the land of news features at the moment. Was good to get my teeth into this on Dunelm and why we all love it for This is Money.

In a year where plenty of other brands have had to share difficult news, Dunelm announced the opening of a milestone 200th store in Merthyr Tydfil, but the news is not all rosey.