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Freya Barnes

@freyabarnes.bsky.social

1.7K followers 2.6K following 260 posts

I do PR & storytelling for social change. Comms counsel to charities, think tanks & public figures. Previously Engage Britain, Shelter. Nature & politics. Weird about The Beatles. Aspiring goat owner🐐 freyabarnespr.co.uk

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Nov 19

I've been followed by so many fab third sector folk lately thanks to being included in a starter pack and thought I'd share the love around.

So here's one of all the people out there shouting about social change - my fellow third sector comms people and campaigners

go.bsky.app/DBMtM8Y

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · May 22

Good morning. Have you, like me, just realised your 'quiet week' now contains 11 meetings, endless redrafts and a migraine?

Please take ten minutes with your favourite mug to sit in the sunshine. It will make everything so much easier to face

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Apr 26

Genuinely devastating that such a courageous woman couldn't bear the toll of her experiences in the end. So many abuse survivors are still tragically failed. We need to do so much better at understanding it, and holding abusers accountable. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Virginia Giuffre, Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew accuser, dies aged 41

Giuffre’s family issue statement confirming she killed herself at her farm in Western Australia

www.theguardian.com

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 30

This is what I've always needed but never known..

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 29

I'm glad you're looking forward to it! Personally I feel there have been a great many books and popular culture narratives that have widely missed the mark in the last few decades, which is why this book is so refreshing. But we're all very much entitled to our own opinions! Peace out ✌️

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 29

Only a few chapters in and I already love it. I hope the book has all the success it deserves.

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 29

So excited to dive into this new @ianleslie.bsky.social book. I've always found the Lennon McCartney relationship endlessly fascinating, touching, extraordinary in its impact on the world. Glad that finally their story is being properly told.

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 12

If a policy change blindsides you, having these elements in place can help you react fast. Let's hope Labour listens up!

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 12

This one works because it has:

- A strong topline backed by new data
- Case studies that show real-life impact
- Shocking anecdotes from the benefits system
- Punchy, headline-worthy quotes

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 12

When a big policy announcement is coming, journos will be actively looking for stories. A well-placed piece can force the gov to respond and make headway in shifting the debate.

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 12

Seeing a great PR lobbying response from the charity sector to the latest welfare cut proposals - advocacy doesn't have to be months in the making 🧵
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

PIP benefits: 'Worrying' number of teens lose payments at age 16

More than 124,000 young people have had claims for adult disability benefits refused, the BBC finds.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 5

At a time when we all need a little more positivity, it was lovely to help get this story into the Guardian.

So many third sector leaders have a fascinating backstory about why we're doing what we do and why the things that matter to us matter. We should be telling them!

gwitness.org/41uBGev

A moment that changed me: I was 16, gay and bullied for it. Then my father wrote to the Guardian …

Britain in the 90s seemed to see homosexuality as something shameful. My father told the world how proud he was of me

gwitness.org

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

Thank you Shelly 🙏

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

Totally agree but I would go even further and say the left also needs to be engaging with the people who are tempted towards voting reform too. There are plenty of shared concerns among these groups.

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

If progressive movements want to influence public opinion, they need to step outside their bubbles and use these principles

I wrote a bit more on this here: wix.to/AZ89NA9

And I'd love to hear where people have seen campaigns get this right

The psychology of changing people’s minds (facts and logic don’t work)

If facts alone were enough to change people’s minds and get them on board with a cause, the world would have stopped debating climate change decades ago. But psychology tells us people don’t change th...

wix.to

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

🤝The message comes from a trusted voice – this matters as much as the message itself. If people don’t trust your messenger, they won’t hear you

👥 It taps into shared values – people listen when something aligns with their own values, even if they don’t fully agree with your argument (yet)

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

🪞They see themselves in the story – people connect through personal experiences. If they can’t see how an issue affects their lives, they won’t engage.

🤯 They don’t feel backed into a corner – when people feel judged, they dig in. Change happens when there’s space for reflection, not defensiveness.

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

If you only engage with people who already agree with you, how do you expect to change minds?

Too many campaigns focus on what should convince people rather than what actually does. The psychology of persuasion tells us people shift their views when:

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Mar 3

Why do some campaigns fail to shift public opinion, while others break through?

Research last week from @moreincommonuk.bsky.social shows progressive activists (like me and lots of you) are less likely to collaborate with political rivals than other groups. That’s a huge problem 🧵

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 19

Such a good find!

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 19

Yeah but it's so warm and cosy!

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 19

Have I found the loveliest coffee place to work from in London?

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 15

Been saying this for months. My hope is they'll singlehandedly destroy the populist movement through the scale of their fuck up

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 10

Oh so good to know thanks Hannah - I will 🙂

Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 10

As someone who is considering selling their shared ownership flat in London this is.. worrying! So helpful to be aware of the issues though 🙏

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Freya Barnes @freyabarnes.bsky.social · Feb 9

Winter in this country is absolutely unacceptable and I don't know why we all continue to put up with it.