Since receiving a full time FM community radio licence from Ofcom in 2012, work has stepped up a gear to bring The Hub Radio to air. Cornwall’s newest hyper-local radio station will begin broadcasting in the second quarter of 2014 to the 15 parishes of South Central Cornwall including Cuby, Gerrans, Grampound with Creed, Ladock, Mevagissey, Philleigh, Probus, Ruanlanihorne, St. Ewe, St. Goran, St. Just-In-Roseland, St. Michael Caerhays, St. Michael Penkevil, Tregony and Veryan.
The management committee are now pleased to announce that The Hub Radio has been awarded lottery funding from the Big Lottery ‘Awards for All’ scheme. The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund aims to enable others to make real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.
Pete Appleyard, one of the members of the management committee, told Roseland Online, “This award will enable us to develop our business plan and fundraising strategy which should in turn help us raise both the capital and year 1 funding we need to run The Hub Radio. We will also be able to purchase marketing materials and equipment to provide PA services to local village festivals and fetes around central South Cornwall this summer, which we aim to be at to spread the word about The Hub Radio launching next year.”
On receipt of the lottery funding news, The Hub Radio has now also signed a 5 year lease for studio premisesand will be based at the Tregony Industrial Estate on the road from Tregony Bridge to Ruan. This space will allow the construction of two good sized sound-proof studios with a large production facility. Construction work on the studios will start soon, once funds are in place.
Pete added, “The Hub Radio will belong to everyone who lives and works in the area and will be a platform for them to have a voice that might otherwise go unheard. We intend to provide a radio service that meets the needs of the local community for news, information, discussion & debate and also entertainment through music, drama and comedy.
“We also want to raise awareness of issues that affect the area we live in, promote local services and community groups, and give people in the area, regardless of age or experience, the chance to gain qualifications in radio production leading to higher levels of employability.”
If you’d like to get involved with The Hub Radio, the team will shortly be calling all interested parties together for the first meeting at their new premises where they’ll discuss how you can help over the coming months. More information and dates will be available from their website at www.thehubradio.co.uk or by calling Pete on 07813 523466.