Life’s a hoot for brains behind Owl newsletter

Photo: Picture: DARREN ROBINSON

PRIDE nominees Liz Lancashire (left) and Deborah Wroe.

TWO friends behind a newsletter promoting local businesses have been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

Liz Lancashire from Mossley and Deborah Wroe from Bardsley set up a marketing business almost two years ago and run it from Royton.

Their work has led to a spin off, Owl Business News — an e-newsletter which started with a base of 500 contacts but which has already doubled and is growing with every bulletin.

Debbie said: “We like to think to we are doing our bit writing good positive stories about the businesses of Oldham.

“The newsletter, which we publish every two weeks, has been received very positively, is written in easy-to-digest language and is of relevance, we like to think, to all business people in Oldham.”

They describe themselves as “marketing experts with a passion for achieving excellent results” and their exuberance and enthusiasm shines through their vibrant personalities.

They set up Owl Marketing after Deborah returned from a two-year stint working in Australia. Liz said: “We had known each other for around five years and had always kept in touch. When Debbie returned to England it made a lot of us sense for us to pool our resources and ideas and set up together in business.”

The pair specialise in events, copy writing and communications, making extensive use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and have a national and international client base.

Debbie’s connections Down Under have led to work from Australia and then has spun off to clients in France.

They were nominated for a Pride award by Julie Crowley, a personal counsellor and life coach with Saddleworth-based Clear Mind Coaching and Counselling.

Julie said: “Working in Oldham, Debbie and Liz offer a business newsletter and brought Twestival Oldham to the town as an off-line social event co-ordinated through social media forum Twitter, including charity funds through the event which was held earlier this year,

“They also brought the Bondi Beach lifeguards to Oldham and these guys spent a day with our Mountain Rescue team at Dovestone to see how the UK work in helping people stay safe, too.

“Through Owl Business News they inform local businesses and keep them in touch with each other through the regular newsletter and let us all know what is happening, as well as putting Oldham on the map with their work.”

The pair were “delighted and surprised” by the nomination. Liz said: “It is really heartening to know that people are taking notice of what we are trying to achieve.”