Name: Frances Mills
Preferred name (calling name): Fran
Age: 27
Origin country/town: Leicester, UK
Other places where you have lived: Liverpool, Helsinki, Lund, Malmö, Copenhagen. (I’m not obsessed with Scandinavia it just happened somehow).
Where are you living at the moment?: Högsbo in Gothenburg
Languages: English (native), French (used to be pretty good but I’m rusty), Swedish (can understand most things, and talk at a decent level)
Academic background: Ocean Sciences BSc, Human Ecology MSc, and some free-standing art courses
Work background: I’ve mostly worked with environmental NGOs, e.g. Friends of the Earth, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. I was usually in campaigning or communications, e.g. I campaigned on the COP conferences, and with FOE on agriculture and ecological economics. I now work part time with content writing about renewable energy.
Journalistic experience: A tiny bit of freelancing on environmental topics for the New Internationalist (specifically about Sveaskog’s logging in Sápmi, and about COP23)
Writing skills (English): Yes! I’m happy to proof-read/ shorten people’s texts, that is my speciality. I think I’m pretty good at storytelling as well.
I have used Excel (spreadsheets): Yes
I have worked with Python: No
I use other programming languages: Yes, I used a lot of MATLAB in my Bachelors.
I have used WordPress: Yes
Graphic/illustration skills?: I have done a bit of basic design, and I like drawing illustrations
Digital publishing/social media?: I have a lot of experience with running organisations’ social media accounts, but no education in it
Audio/radio/pod?: I made a podcast with Friends of the Earth (recording and editing). I had some workshops on how to do it in terms of storytelling and also technically.
Photography? A bit
Video/tv/filming? Yes, but self-taught. I like editing videos as a hobby
Other editing or publishing skills?: Not that I can think of
Knowledge of the European Parliament (relevant to the CJC project): I know a bit about renewable energy policy, e.g. the EU taxonomy.
Special interests/knowledge relevant to research/investigative journalism: I have used a lot of statistics in my Bachelors so maybe that’s helpful. I know about environmental issues – especially climate justice, the fossil fuel lobby, forests, land-grabbing etc. I’m also interested in the rights of indigenous peoples, though no expert, and also interested in worker’s rights.
Other skills/hobbies: I play bass and guitar, am into bouldering, I like general outdoors things like hiking, kayaking, camping, have been involved in theatre and art.
I think I will be able to support my fellow students with: I will try my best to support with everything but I don’t know if I have specific skills! I am happy to answer questions about English/ read through people’s writing.
Contact details (preferred): +46739965798, franceslydiamills@yahoo.co.uk
