Matthew Barnes

Experience

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  The Magazine UK Ltd

  Aug 2004 - Nov 2006

  Assistant Editor

  •Working closely with Editor to develop and plan 80+ page monthly celebrity magazine•Writing up to 60 pages of copy each month, covering news, reviews, interviews and features•Working with design team, photographers and photo agencies•Interviewing national and international celebrities (over 100 in total, including John Motson, Charlotte Church, Ian Brown, Willie Thorne, Caprice, Kelly Clarkson and many others)•Working closely with local and national PR companies regarding reviews/product placement•Interviewing and recruiting volunteer writers Show less

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  Manchester is Music

  Jan 2006 - Jun 2011

  Webmaster

  Webmaster, Editor, Designer and Developer of a unique online monthly magazine and radio show covering legendary Manchester musicians and unsigned acts. This work including recruiting and leading a team of writers, sourcing and conducting interviews, writing biographical pieces for new bands, and managing a successful unsigned band, producing documentary video pieces and co-producing music videos, writing, recording and editing a monthly comedy/music radio show, running charity campaigns and more. Show less

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  Fighting Spirit Magazine

  Nov 2006 - Aug 2010

  Lead Freelance Writer

  Lead freelance writer for an international publication, producing up to 10,000 words of copy per month. Specific roles included:•Interviewing professional wrestling performers from around the world both in person and via telephone•Making contact with performers and promoters across the world to seek opportunities•Writing detailed, well-researched, hard-hitting cover stories covering drugs, gender, sexuality and death in professional wrestling•Reviewing books, games and DVDs•Supporting and mentoring new writers Show less

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  Student Direct

  Sept 2008 - Jun 2009

  Editor

  •Developing flatplan for each issue, sourcing news stories, reviews and competitions•Recruiting and managing a team of volunteer student writers•Copy editing and working with design to plan and prepare issues•Devised and launched an “Associate Editor” scheme, enabling young volunteer writers to manage their own issue, learning skills included planning, coordinating and editing their own issue, with my support

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  Standguide Ltd

  Jun 2009 - Apr 2011

  Skills for Life Tutor

  Developing and delivering a structured, rolling 12-week adult learning provision for basic skills learners referred via Job Centre Plus routes with pre-entry to Level 2 (GCSE) literacy, numeracy and ICT needs. Role incorporated:•Developing and delivering schemes or work for unemployed adult learners•Interviewing and inducting learners•Partnership working with DWP and prime contractors •Paperwork/Project Admin, Preparing files for audit•Recruiting, managing and mentoring trainee tutors in partnership with The University of Bolton Show less

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  Trafford Centre for Independent Living

  Aug 2011 - Jun 2014

  Information and Learning Manager

  Setting up and managing a busy Information and Learning Service, including managing 10 staff and over 20 volunteers across a range of projects, including a disabled people’s activity network catering for over 100 members, life coaching for adults with Autism, Citize Advocacy (Peer Mentoring), classes including Literacy, ICT, Numeracy and Confidence building, service user engagement, online radio projects and line managing reception staff and volunteers, trainees and student placements. This role also involved building and developing local partnerships, bid-writing, recruitment, supporting strategic development at the centre, marketing, Fire Marshall, First Aid and Health and Safety, Project Managing a total of eight entirely separate projects (many of which I personally devised and won funding for). Other duties included:•Responsible for room bookings, including setting pricings, negotiating discounts for block bookings, partners and other charities.•First Aider, Fire Marshall and involved in Risk Assessments and Health and Safety audits •Writing and submitting Quarterly Contract Monitoring reports to funders•Involved in the development of the annual report•Responsible for development of CIL website and all marketing materials/logos•Developing case studies, qualitative data and hosting focus groups to measure client experience with our services. Show less

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  Resurrection Magazine/Alternative Wrestling Magazine

  Aug 2013 - now

  Editor in Chief

  Responsible for several publications throughout this time period, including:Resurrection (Editor/owner): Quarterly British professional wrestling print publication Alternative Wrestling Magazine (Editor in Chief): Bi-monthly online professional wrestling magazine (up to 30k downloads per month). Total Wrestling Magazine (Co-Editor, 2013-2014): Successfully revived a famous British professional wrestling magazine from the early 2000s as an e-publication with 10-30,000 downloads per month.Roles include:Recruiting, training, developing and supporting new writersLiaising with photographers, PR representatives, interview subjects and advertisersSupporting and inputting into the design processWriting and editing content for publicationsSupporting editorial staff Show less

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  Back on Track Manchester

  Jun 2014 - now

  Senior Training Coordinator

  Coordinating volunteering and traineeship opportunities for former drugs and alcohol, mental health, criminal justice and/or homelessness service users and other volunteers / trainees; and to manage a programme of training for volunteers and staff. Overseeing the implementation of the GROW Campus strand of the Inspiring Change Manchester programme, working with the Services Manager to produce implementation plans for delivering the project. Key tasks include:•Developing and implementing a staged volunteering programme which enables service users to gain skills and experience and contribute to the service. Setting up a framework for recruiting, training, inducting and mentoring ex-service users as volunteers•Overseeing the engagement of Inspiring Change Manchester service users in education, training, volunteering and employment •Overseeing the work of other team members in supporting service users to progress to volunteering, further education and employment (including in-work support)•Setting up and monitoring effective tracking systems for the project, producing weekly update reports, monthly contract reports and detailed quarterly reports for funders. •Overseeing supervision, support and career development input to volunteers. Ensuring effective administrative systems relating to all aspects of volunteering.•Providing supervision and line management to designated staff, volunteers and placement trainees, including maintaining regular contact, undertaking supervision sessions, maintaining appropriate records, line managing trainee tutors and social work placements, and task-managing administrative staff in relation to training bookings / invoicing Show less