Raising the Volume: Giving Twickenham Choral a Digital Voice to Match Its Talent

Twickenham Choral has never struggled for talent. With over 100 members, a programme spanning classical and contemporary choral works, concerts not only in local venues but also in Central London and on overseas tours – the musical credentials are well established. What the choir needed was a way to make sure the right people knew about it. Through Link UP London, a volunteer with the skills to do exactly that walked through the door.

About the Organisation

Twickenham Choral is a registered charity and one of West London’s leading choirs. With more than 100 members and a track record of performing at major venues locally and internationally, the choir has recently entered a new artistic chapter under Musical Director Howard Ionascu.

The Challenge

For all its musical strength, Twickenham Choral’s marketing had fallen behind. Outreach was reactive – a flurry of social media posts ahead of a concert, some printed materials, and little else in between. There was no consistent strategy, no defined audiences, and no tools in place for the wider team to maintain momentum between projects.

The choir wanted to change that. With new artistic leadership bringing fresh energy, this felt like the right moment to build something more purposeful: a digital marketing plan that could raise their profile, attract new audiences, support recruitment, and open doors to sponsorship – one that would be user-friendly for the people running it week to week.

The Skilled Volunteer

Abbie Button has worked in marketing and communications for 10 years across the arts and charity sectors. This gave her a great mix of experience to understand what Twickenham Choral needed.

She had also worked with community groups providing marketing and communications advice, so she knew the importance of practical, hands-on support. Her aim was to help the team build confidence and give them tools they could actually use, rather than simply creating a strategy document that would sit on a shelf.
Rather than arriving with ready-made answers, Abbie started by asking questions. She challenged the team to identify their key audiences and articulate their goals – work that sounds straightforward but often reveals assumptions that haven’t been tested.

From there, she developed practical tools and templates that the choir could easily use, gave guidance on content and consistency across channels, and made sure the team understood not just what to do but why.

Abbie reflected: “I learned how transferrable my skills are, which has made me feel more confident. I feel that I’ve made a contribution to the community, and I feel more interested in trying new things.”

The Impact

The change in how the team thinks about their marketing has been immediate. Jackie and the team at Twickenham Choral described what the project had given them: “Abbie challenged us to identify our key audiences and goals. She encouraged discussion and provided us with practical tools we can use in future. We are already implementing some of this.”

That phrase – already implementing – matters. The aim of any good skills-sharing project is not to hand over a plan but to change how an organisation works. Twickenham Choral is now sharing what it has learned with its broader team and expanding its social media presence using the tools Abbie put in place.
The benefits reach beyond visibility alone. With clearer objectives and a more strategic approach, the choir is better positioned to communicate its value to potential sponsors and to build stronger connections with its existing stakeholders.

As the team put it: “It will allow clearer and more impactful communication and advertising.”

The relationship hasn’t ended with the project either. Abbie has offered to remain available for ad hoc questions as the team continues to find its feet – and the choir has invited her to its concerts. A volunteering engagement that becomes a genuine ongoing connection.

Looking Forward

Twickenham Choral heads into its next artistic chapter with more than a new Musical Director. It has a clearer sense of who it is talking to, what it wants to say, and how to say it – consistently, and in a way that the whole team can maintain.

That kind of foundation doesn’t make the news in the way a sold-out concert does. But it’s what makes a sold-out concert more likely.