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serena-snoad

serena-snoad

(she/her)

Community consultant | Training & strategy for nonprofits and charities building safe, thriving online spaces | Wellbeing-first approach | Community builder since 2008

Founder at Good Community

LondonEnglandUnited Kingdom🇬🇧
Open to:Commissioned workSpeaking engagementsContract rolesPart-time rolesCollaborations
Preferred workplace:Remote (same country)Remote (worldwide)Remote (same region)
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Need an online community expert who has a track record of success? I can help you to build communities in an ethical and effective way.

About me: Direct and deep experience in moderating live and complex issues, overseeing member safeguarding, handling challenge/complaints, curating user content, content and events creation, service strategy and evaluation, and delivering emotional support and technical support.

17 years expertise in online community building including creating, operating, evaluating, and promoting communities. 7 years experience in hiring, leading and training teams (via workshops, direct training and 1-1 support).

Specialist experience in communities of circumstance and communities of practice. Over a decade working for health charities and non-profits, operating and overseeing online peer support communities for patients, carers and family.

Qualifications and achievements:

  • Judge in the 2022 and 2026 Community Industry Awards in the Non Profit Category, and Finalist in the 2020 Community Industry Awards in the Executive Lead category.
  • From 2015-2023 I led one of the leading health peer support communities for a UK charity. Managing staff and volunteers, developing policy, overseeing safeguarding, leading on service development, producing training and process materials, creating and managing budgets, managing developer relationships, overseeing the high level strategic direction of the service. The service grew from 20,000-80,000 members, maintained 90%+ user satisfaction, and attracted external funding.
  • Managed the re-build of an active online community for patients and carers. This involved: identifying requirements, creating and managing change communications, assessing products and working with developers, designers, employees and volunteers to build, test, and recreate documentation, then migrate data safely and re-launch the community.
  • Co-founded an online and offline professional events series for online community professionals in the London area. This involved facilitating live events, creating and delivering talks, managing live chat, sourcing speakers, sourcing venues, promoting events and collaborating with partner orgs.

Previously...

  • Built and managed the brand social media audiences for Blood Cancer UK across multiple platforms
  • CIPR qualified Public Relations professional
  • Developed PR and social media policy and trained colleagues in PR and social media skills
  • 4 years experience in media relations, copywriting, press campaigns, and interviewing case studies

Activity

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Career: 7

Founder

Good Community

Oct 2021 - Present

It matters that we bring people together safely and sustainably. I empower and enable community professionals by designing and delivering training, providing advice and offering expert insight. I also work with non-profits and charities to provide advice on how to build online communities safely, in a way that protects community and team wellbeing. This includes team training, assessing and offering recommendations for improvement, and helping to troubleshoot key issues. I also speak at conferences and events (and write!) about good practice in online community management. My aim is to share practical advice and effective strategies on how to run communities safely, and how to protect and improve the wellbeing of community members and teams. My work is underpinned by 16 years of deep experience in community building and extensive training in communications, community, wellbeing, and people management. I care about my work and about the people I work with. I want you to succeed and to be safe.

Board Member

Community Consultants Collective

Jan 2026 - Present

The Community Consultants Collective (CCC) supports independent consultants specializing in online communities. It offers networking, education, and resources to help members grow their careers, uphold standards, and advance the field. Serena serves as a Board Member, helping to guide CCC’s growth and impact.

Online Community Manager

Alzheimer's Society

London

Sep 2015 - Jan 2023

Overseeing community operation, promotion and development, and participating in the strategic development and management of the Advice Services department. Managing 18 people (including remote employees and volunteers): recruiting, inducting and supporting the team whilst using a high challenge high support model of people management. Handling people management systems and processes. Acting as product owner and super-admin of the software platform, training others on software usage, liaising with information security and working with hosting, developers and designers to identify and resolve issues and improve user experience. Creating and developing service policies and processes including terms and conditions, moderation and administration processes. Adapting safeguarding processes to a digital context and acting as safeguarding lead. Acting as functional lead on critical reputational and business continuity issues. Working with internal stakeholders to generate funding, raise the profile of the service, tell stories with data, cross-refer to other services and champion the needs of service users.

London Chapter Lead

CMX

London

May 2019 - Mar 2022

We launched the CMX Connect London community in May 2019 and have now supported hundreds of London community professionals thrive, learn and network through monthly events. Our network includes community professionals across finance, tech, startup, dev and non-profit.

Online Community Coordinator

Alzheimer's Society

London, United Kingdom

Jan 2014 - Aug 2015

I help to manage an online support community for people affected by dementia. My role was recently upgraded to reflect my increased responsibilties; which now include data analysis and volunteer management. There are three key aspects to my role: 1) Overseeing moderation, amending the software's admin panel and supporting moderators. I also manage and support the volunteers who help us to run the community. 2) Supporting community members by responding to queries, resolving technical issues and signposting vulnerable members to appropriate services. 3) Promoting the community internally by curating content for other communications channels, writing appropriate copy and externally by networking and doing presentations. I am experienced in using vBulletin version 4, google analytics, live chat software and IP checkers to manage and monitor the community. Key projects - coordinating live chat sessions then creating and sharing transcripts from relevant sessions - leading on the usability testing project; choosing an agency, creating a project plan, promoting the project, recruiting participants, approving project documents and handling relevant queries

Talking Point Administrator

Alzheimer's Society

London

Mar 2011 - Jan 2014

I help to manage an online support community for people affected by dementia. We offer support, information and a place for discussion. There are three key aspects to my role: 1) managing the community by overseeing moderation, helping to implement technical developments, protecting the community from malicious users and ensuring the rules are kept. I also directly and indirectly manage the volunteers who help us to run the community. 2) supporting community members by responding to queries, resolving technical issues and signposting vulnerable members to appropriate services. 3) promoting the community internally and externally by presenting at local offices, networking, writing appropriate copy and curating content for other communications channels. I am experienced in using vBulletin version 4, google analytics and IP checkers to manage and monitor the community. Key projects: - created a manual to help moderators understand and implement moderation; including technical tasks, supporting vulnerable members and signposting to other services - managed development of a new promotional flyer - implemented a technical solution to manage the community's extensive mailing list

Social Media Officer

Blood Cancer UK

Jul 2010 - Feb 2011

Helping to connect people by sharing stories of those affected by blood cancers and the people working their socks off to cure these hideous diseases. My experience managing and developing the social media presence of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research started in 2008 and led to this role. This involved overseeing brand change comms via social media, training colleagues in effective social media content and community management, developing social content and programming, and selecting and testing relevant social media software tools.

Skills: 54

Other

BloggingBudget ManagementCharitiesCollaborative LeadershipCommunity ManagementCommunity StrategyConsultingContent curation
Content WritingCorporate GovernanceCounsellingDatabase AdministrationDecision-MakingDelivering WorkshopsEditingEmotional SupportEmpathic CommunicationEmployee TrainingExperienced SpeakerGoogle AnalyticsKPI ReportsLeadershipMedia RelationsMental Health First AidMicrosoft ExcelOnline Community ManagementOnline HelpOnline ModerationOnline SupportPeer SupportPeople ManagementPress ReleasesProblem SolvingProduct ManagementProject ManagementPublic SpeakingRunning offline and online comms campaignsSafeguardingSocial Emotional LearningSocial MediaSocial Media Communicationssocial media managementSocial Media Measurementsocial media monitoringstaff trainingTeam BuildingTeam LeadershipTeam ManagementTrauma Informed CarevBulletinVirtual EventsVolunteer ManagementWeb Content ManagementWriting

Credentials: 5

Mental Health First Aid (Level 2 qualification)

NCFE

Mar 2023

Counselling Skills (Level 2)

NCFE

Mar 2023

Fundamentals of Community Strategy

CMX Media

Dec 2019
May 2015

Education: 2

Cambridge Marketing College

Vocational degree-level qualification

2006 - 2008

http://www.cipr.co.uk/courses/advanced-certificate Level 5 NQF

Activities / Societies: Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations

University of Durham

BA (Hons)

2000 - 2003

Activities / Societies: Worked in Grey College Art Gallery and Library Chaired Grey College Arts Committee Edited Phoenix Magazine Also a member of the Choral Society, College Choir, Octet, CU and lots of other groups

Courses: 8

  • Managing Volunteers 2 day course from DSC

  • Building Emotional Resilience in the Workplace - led by Samaritans

  • Communication Skills - speaking, listening, writing and reading effectively (led by Relate)

  • Managing difficult contacts - led by Samaritans

  • Google analytics standard training

  • Responding to emotional content (Helplines partnership)

  • Mobile usability and UX

  • Safeguarding for practitioners and managers

    1

Awards: 3

  • Judge - Global Community Industry Awards

    Jan 2026

    I was invited to return as judge of the nonprofit category for the second time.

  • Judge - Global Community Industry Awards

    Jan 2022

    Global Community Industry Awards - Non-profit Category

  • Finalist - Community Industry Awards

    Jan 2020

    Finalist in the Community Industry Awards - Executive Lead category. This award programme is established and managed by CMX.

Involvement: 2

Volunteering

Digital Candle

Volunteer Expert

I volunteer with Digital Candle to give charities and non-profit groups free digital advice on problems they're facing. Ask your question here - https://www.digitalcandle.org.uk/volunteer-your-time

Led by Community

Member of the Board of Advisors

I provide support and insight to help to shape the vision and operations of Led By Community

Languages: 1

  • English(Native or bilingual)

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