About us
Ah, the early 90s… great times. It’s when The Surgery took its first breath as the child of three ambitious design and digital lads from London; ‘PC’ Paul Cohen, Nick Cordell and Robin Nicholl.
Zoom forward to 2015, and The Surgery expanded to bring IC consultancy into the business driven by client need.
We’ve grown up since then and moved to the country, a fabulous, converted barn space in West Sussex. We’re an agency with a difference. Okay, hold on, you’ve heard that line a billion times, right? But you see, the thing is, we really are an agency with a difference.
Let us show you what we mean
Our eclectic bunch of ‘Surgeons’ (all 19 of us) really do care about each other, the work we do and our clients. We’re a proper blend of wise heads and the next new best things. Decades of experience all mixed up with people who know their way around a TikTok.
It’s a blend that works
Our clients come back to us not just because we’re award winners in design, digital and internal communications, although that does rather help. It’s mostly because of that blend thing. It means we can provide design, copywriting, content services, internal communications strategy and campaigns alongside unique behavioural and psychology expertise, all under one big old barn roof.
We understand our clients’ why
We’ll audit, research, research and then do more research so we understand the challenge and create the best solution. We look at everything through our ANTI-BORING (trademark pending) lens. It helps to make the complex simple, meaning you get to engage with your audience at a real, authentic, people-to-people level.
Talking of people
We love seeing our people grow, develop and learn. We give them space and encouragement to try stuff out, to go for it and then learn from it. We celebrate the small stuff, the birthdays, the anniversaries, the life stuff. It’s all about that work-life balance. We might work from the barn or remotely from our homes, cafes, and even campervans. But we always make sure we get together, too. Because we have fun, our clients tend to as well.
We’re totally committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion and eliminating discrimination. Not just because it’s our legal duty but because it’s the right thing to do. Our social impact and the footprint on the environment we leave behind us matter, too. We work locally with community groups and help global brands and charities do some good around the world.
So… let’s kick boredom up its boring old backside, and let’s create something beautiful together!
Our mission
We want to create a world where boring is banned… forever!
Why we do what we do
Because we love engaging people through creative solutions that tackle real-life challenges.
What we do
We banish boring through killer IC campaigns, empowering EVP and employer brands, daring design and dynamite digital solutions.
How we do it
By making the complex simple.
Have you ever read the book the History of Glue? We couldn’t put it down!
Here at the Surgery, we’re big fans of getting lost in a good book. Whether it’s a quick chapter over lunch or a quiet hour at the end of a long day, reading offers something we all need from time to time – space to recharge, unwind, and reset.
World Book Day is a brilliant reminder that a little escapism can make a big difference. Stories help broaden our thinking, fuel creativity, and give our minds a break from the constant noise of everyday life.
Here’s a few of us taking a moment with our current reads. No spoilers please!
Any recommendations of books we should add to our reading lists?
Spring is finally springing all around us here at the Surgery barn!
We saw the last official month of winter off in style with plenty of projects, campaigns, and jobs. In fact…
📅 We took on 61 new jobs in February (that’s 2.17 jobs a day )
🧩 We started to get everything in place for a leadership event in May
📈 Delivered Comms and EVP audits, IC reviews, values, and behaviour projects throughout the month
🚸 We met with the team from a prestigious school to help with their brand…
.. all while supporting our clients with their copy, design, and digital tasks. 👩💻
💕And of course, we couldn’t let February slip by without celebrating Valentine’s Day with a team lunch.
Here’s to March… summer is on its way ☀️
Get in touch today and let’s talk about your next campaign and project!
If you haven’t been to Barn to Boardroom (B2B) before and are wondering what all the fuss is about, check out these highlights from last year’s event!
IC, HR and Employer Brand colleagues come together at our gloriously idyllic barn in the West Sussex countryside to network, get the low down from insightful speakers, and immerse themselves in actionable workshops and activities.
Everyone leaves B2B with a set of practical actions to implement, new friends and connections and, of course, tummies full of delicious food (vegan and veggie options are on the menu, too.)
Every B2B (this year is B2B11) we have a theme for the day, this time we are exploring ‘Influencing with Impact’ to help you improve relationships and outcomes in your organisation and teams.
So, join us on Wednesday 1st July, half price early bird tickets are still available, but they are going fast! Register here to secure your place.
See you there!
https://ineedsurgery.com/register-for-tickets/
We do love an infographic here at The Surgery.
So for Pancake Day, we couldn’t resist creating one to illustrate the constituent parts of the perfect English pancake (yes, the Yorkshire‑pudding‑mix kind) into a deliciously nerdy pie chart.
We’ll be knocking up generous stacks today with larder left-overs and free-range eggs courtesy of the ladies in our very own Cluckingham Palace – the sprawling hen house here on Orchard Park Farm.
Happy Pancake Day from all of us at The Surgery!
Tickets are available now for the event of the year for IC, HR and Employee Brand colleagues – Barn to Boardroom.
This is your early bird opportunity to get half-price tickets, but they won’t stay around for long!
This year will be deep diving into ‘Influencing with Impact’ – an exploration into how professionals like you can use influence to improve relationships and outcomes in your organisation and teams.
Come and join us on Wednesday 1st July in our glorious barn in the wonderful West Sussex countryside for some networking, practical actions to take back to the office and of course lots of fun and food.
To be an early bird and get 50% off your ticket register here
https://ineedsurgery.com/register-for-tickets/
See you there!
We picked up right where we left off at the end of 2025 — finishing ongoing projects and taking on 40 new jobs to kick off the year.
It was a big month for delivery:
📐 First up was a two-day in person conference for a client to delivery their new strategy in an engaging, experiential and impactful way
⚡ We helped a client bring their five-year strategy to life with five new videos, three supporting toolkits and a whole host of other collateral
✈️ We wrapped up user testing on a new member portal and are now ready to implement all that valuable feedback
Despite power cuts, flooding and frozen pipes sent to try us, the work still got over the line – creativity undimmed 💪
Behind the scenes, we also:
📅 Locked in the date for Barn to Boardroom 2026 (watch this space 👀)
🎉 Planned our next creative team outing more to follow on that
👋 Welcomed the very lovely and very talented Angela to the team (a Brighton fan, too – obviously a great fit)
After all the fun and insight gained at last year’s milestone Barn to Boardroom10 event, we are delighted to say our barn doors will be flying open again in 2026… so save the date: Wednesday 1st July!
This year, we’re diving into the theme of ‘Influencing with Impact.’ We’ll explore how internal communicators like you can harness your inner influence to drive change and improve outcomes in your organisation.
So, get out your magic markers and add B2B11 to your diary!
Join us, senior leaders and fellow IC, HR and Employee Brand peers for a day of insight, practical ideas, networking (and, of course, lots of fun and food) at our glorious barn in the West Sussex countryside.
Keep your eyes peeled for our Early Bird ticket offer dropping soon.
We can’t wait for you to join us at Barn to Boardroom 2026, Wednesday, 1st July!
Poor mental health can affect all us at any time of year and for a host of different reasons.
So, this hashtag#BlueMonday we decided to ditch the blue and go all out colourful! It brought a bit of fun to the day and to top it off, we cosied up with Hotel Chocolat velvertiser hot chocolates with all the toppings and extra rich white chocolate blondies… yum!
Please don`t forget to reach out for help if you need it, to a friend, family member, colleague or one of the many organisations out there that are there for you.
