Heather Murray

• Heather Murray
• Ellie Owen
• Georgie Cunningham

A born-and-bred Brummie, Heather is our Queen Bee at Beesting Digital and Beesting Charity, owning and running both businesses as Managing Director. 

“Having seen both the colder, richer corporate side of working life and the warmer, poorer charity side, I knew there must be a way to have the best of both. I set out to create a successful, profitable business with warm, friendly and caring values that could comfortably sustain its own charitable arm.  

Beesting Digital was born: a hive of energetic, industrious writing talent, operating as a reliable partner to digital marketing agencies around the UK and US. The profits fund Beesting Charity, which provides free and affordable marketing services to UK charities.”

Working background

Heather had a very corporate beginning to her career, including 12 years working at Big 5, Blue Chip law and audit firms, including KPMG, Osborne Clarke and Beachcroft LLP, plus a stint working at the Ministry of Defence and the Birmingham Post & Mail (part of the Trinity Mirror Group). 

Taking a more charitable turn, Heather moved to Bristol and spent 5 years working at St Werburghs Community Centre, a move that changed her outlook on working life substantially. It was alongside this role that she launched the early iterations of the Beesting brand; initially Beesting Burlesque, a series of burlesque events throughout Bristol, raising over £10k for charity. Following this, Beesting Events was born, creating large corporate and private events at prestigious venues, including the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House and Trinity Arts Centre. 

A move into marketing 

Having always been within marketing departments, or undertaking her own marketing endeavours for various projects and businesses, Heather decided it was time to go and finally get that elusive degree. In 2015, she attended the University of the West of England as a mature student and achieved a First Class BSc Marketing. 

Whilst at university, Heather won several awards, including Undergraduate of the Year and the prestigious Anchor Award for Volunteer of the Year. 

Charity work

Heather’s involvement with charities dates back to secondary school, where her work befriending older people in care homes began. Throughout the years, Heather has done a lot of work with older and isolated people, including a Befriender position at Age UK, running weekly quiz nights and events at care homes.  

In 2015, Heather started Festive Friends – a free sit-down Christmas meal for 100 isolated older people in Bristol, which has now run for 5 years.  The event involves the Lord Mayor, the Police, Avon Fire & Rescue, the Ambulance Service and various local authorities, and runs annually in Bristol.  Festive Friends is Heather’s passion and her aim is to bring the event to Birmingham, where she returned to live in 2019.