Maria Thorne

Background

About Maria Thorne

I believe you call it a "portfolio career"! Since becoming self-employed in 2016, I've built on my wide range of career experience from working in large organisations to build up a small freelance business working as a freelance creative consultant. Working in a job where I can be of service in the community is really important to me. Creative Content Production: Using my experience of writing and managing the Met Office's Content Production Strategy, I started doing similar work on a freelance basis in order to give me more flexibility with my then-young family. This involves helping small local businesses and community organisations strategically to plan their online content production and approach to social media. I help them connect with their clients or service users, and take great care in working to understand their aims and what will appeal to the customers. Content might include articles or blogs, photography, graphic design or video. I provide all the above. Contact me for examples of my work. Wedding and Naming Celebrant: On weekends, you can find me in various beautiful locations across the South West, marrying people and naming babies! I can’t think of a more tremendous privilege than helping people celebrate the biggest milestones in their lives. Because I love people – and I take the time to get to know them – I write wedding and naming ceremonies that are completely authentic. I work with couples and families to create a personalised ceremony, which they can make as traditional, informal, fun or creative as they like. No two ceremonies are the same. There are no ‘set words’ or ‘order of service’ and I can always help by making suggestions about things like venues, readings, music and symbolic acts. I'm fully trained and accredited by Humanists UK. See more, including some rather flattering feedback from clients, on my Celebrant Website: Community Choir Leader: Monday evenings find me co-directing VoiceWorx Community Voices. As a choir leader, I encourage people to be the best they can be, whilst having fun in a nurturing environment. Everyone is welcome and we have no auditions or prerequisites for membership. People come to the choir for all sorts of reasons, including social, mental health and personal development. I consider it my duty to ensure that - in addition to learning to sing - participants can enjoy a sense of achievement in a warm and welcoming community.