That’s another Financial Year over for Mantis. The 11th in fact. I am, by nature, a pessimist and a worrier, but even for me, we had a good year.

We publicly evolved our business at the beginning of the year to reflect the services we were already offering to clients behind the scenes – market intelligence services, content creation and communications [not just media relations]. We built and launched a new website to reflect the changes. In fact, we completed a total re-brand.

We strengthened our partnership with GlobalData [formerly Kable public sector] to improve the market intelligence we can offer to clients. We also struck a new partnership with Advice Cloud, the procurement specialists, to help advise our clients on winning new business in the public sector.

This year, we successfully delivered insight and intelligence; media relations, media training and messaging development; internal communications and crisis communications campaigns. We also represented SME tech companies selling to all of the major public sectors markets simultaneously – local government, central, hospitals and CCGs, schools and universities, emergency services and social care and housing.

We didn’t lose a client all year – not one. 100 per cent retention. Our longest served client, OCF, remained with us for another year – that’s 11 years now. We also added new SME tech clients including: Carelink, Contino and Littlefish.

In terms of our team, our Client Services Director, Eleanor Willock, returned from maternity leave and we expanded our senior team of campaign directors with the promotions of Dave Wedderburn and Vicky Hayden. Perhaps, most excitingly of all, our commitment to flexible working and career progression was recognised publicly and we were highly commended at the Women in Marketing awards.

Many thanks for all of your help and support. We’ll be making sure we achieve even more in our next financial year.