Testimonials
I have worked with Donna Leigh for the past eight years, in my role as editorial director of Trinity Mirror’s regional media business. In that time, Donna has held a number of senior communications roles and has brought great thoughtfulness and energy to all of them. She is highly collaborative, a very skilled communicator and has great clarity of thought. Whenever Donna calls, I know she will be bringing an interesting, relevant and mutually beneficial idea to the table.
She is highly organised and, whatever the project, she has always delivered successfully and on time. Donna is a pleasure to work with and I am delighted to recommend her.
Neil Benson, Editorial Director, Trinity Mirror Regionals
I have known Donna Leigh for more years than it would seem possible for her to be involved in professional life. I have always regarded her as a trusted journalist and press spokesperson. She is well regarded and fully understands, and is understood by the media.
Charles Garside, Managing Editor of the Daily Mail and former Editor of The European.
Few people command as much respect as Donna. We worked together first on the London Criminal Justice Board, with a key aim of increasing Londoner's confidence in the delivery of justice; no easy task. Donna's background in journalism and the media were invaluable. She was - and continues to be - widely known nationally and internationally within the Society of Editors and she brought a refreshing openness and challenge to what had been a conventional and inward looking approach to communications.
I was extremely pleased when Donna agreed to join the fledgling Probation Chiefs Association and without her energy, initiative and communications knowledge we would have struggled to get off the ground. Donna drew on her formidable professional network to set up innovative media training for Chief Officers and she has subsequently earned a very high reputation for her pioneering work in crisis management. She opened doors to key TV, radio and press which had previously been closed to probation.
In my experience Donna inspires confidence in others, irrespective of background; she is inclusive, well informed about contemporary issues, completely reliable, dedicated to her work, sets and achieves high standards and conveys a deep sense of enjoyment in all her many ventures.
David Scott, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at University of Portsmouth and former Chief Probation Officer.
Donna Leigh developed the PCA’s external communications from scratch. During her four years with the association, she was responsible for our branding and launch – and developed our contacts with the media and excellent relations with a range of key stakeholders. Her energy and commitment to promoting the role of probation in the community and the national media – and her support in managing the media at times of crisis has been highly valued by senior probation managers. |
 |
Handling critical public issues was a key part of my responsibilities for the PCA. I very quickly realised that it is all too easy to get out of your depth in the face of a fast-moving, relentless and probing news media without timely expert advice and support. Donna provided exactly that because she was able to deploy her extraordinarily detailed understanding of the way the news media works whilst at the same time appreciating the nature of the criminal justice environment within which an agency like probation works.
Steve Collett, first joint Vice-Chair of the Probation Chiefs Association
As a previous Chief Executive of a Probation Trust, I worked closely with Donna Leigh in my capacity as the Probation Chiefs Association Public Protection lead which involved a number of high profile and sensitive media issues. She provided excellent advice on what was required and was supportive of those who fronted any media enquiries, whether that be for press releases, or press or multi media interviews. She worked on documents to make them user friendly, she set up appropriate arrangements and ensured anyone being interviewed was well briefed, and she was clear about the importance of clarity of thought and of being properly media trained. Above all, my experience of Donna is that she cared deeply for the issues at hand and for protecting the reputation of the Probation Service, and nothing was too much trouble in her pursuit of the PCA projecting a professional and knowledgeable image to the external world. This gave me confidence when under pressure from the media and I found her support and advice invaluable.
Diana Fulbrook, first Public Protection lead, Probation Chiefs Association
Donna is an experienced media relations and PR executive with extensive experience across both the criminal justice sector and the news industry. |
 |
Attending the media training was a truly professional and memorable experience. I have attended similar training in the past but on this occasion the experience was brought to life with ‘real’ examples and professionals who deployed the many facets of media challenges – from ‘door-stepping’ to planned and prepared questioning. Donna, in particular, inspires one with confidence and she supports and encourages throughout. She can also be very persuasive as I discovered shortly after my training when I ended up on Radio 4 and a live TV production on BBC! However, I was able to deploy the skills I had learned with good effect. Thanks Donna.
Karen Page, Chief Officer, Probation
Donna Leigh is the consummate professional in the strategic planning and development of communications. Nine years of success in the public sector – not the easiest of arenas - has included work with the Crown Prosecution Service, the London Criminal Justice Board and the Probation Chiefs Association. Her insight and collaborative style facilitate easy cooperation – she is a specialist whose strong skills, great contacts, high energy and flair produce results.
Lynne McKay, Manager – Communications, Essex Probation
Make Justice Work has enjoyed and appreciated a long and fruitful relationship with Donna. She has offered constructive and helpful advice, has a deep-seated knowledge of the workings of the criminal justice system, and very importantly, |
 |
With close links between sentencers and probation, I have worked with Donna Leigh in securing some key messages and information exchange. This has included the provision of a DVD for all Magistrates’ Association members, illustrating various case studies that demonstrate the details and value of different probation programmes for a variety of offenders. In the same way, Donna, arranged a number of case studies for publication in our members’ magazine, Magistrate, so that sentencers can see defendants’ progress, their difficulties and also the positive steps taken as time passes. This all helps to raise confidence and support in probation and equips sentencers with knowledge of availability of programmes and their achievements.
Ann Flintham, Communications Director of the Magistrates’ Association
As a graphic designer I have enjoyed a creative collaboration with Donna Leigh in her capacity as editor, writer and PR on several criminal justice magazines, newsletters, web sites and specialist publications for the past nine years. We have worked together on a wide range of projects for the Crown Prosecution Service, the multi-agency London Criminal Justice Board and most recently, the Probation Service. Donna’s clear vision, highly professional approach and attention to detail reflect an expert knowledge of the publishing business. |
 |