Karen Sault who works at BBC WM shared her radio skills with a group of young adults developing their on-air presentation in community radio. They are from the dedicated team of radio presenters who volunteer at Unity Radio, a Manchester-based community radio station.
‘I came out smiling, not just because it was a first for me, but because I had spent an evening with a group of people who have the same passion for radio as me’
Back in 1997 I was studying Sound Engineering at college. My favourite module was Radio Production and I couldn’t wait to get to college on those days. But, it wasn’t enough. I wanted to work in a real station. So I approached BBC WM and asked if I could come in and help out. I was shocked to get a “yes” reply and I started working voluntarily on the Saturday sport show.
Workshop at Unity Radio, Manchester, with BBC staff volunteers
Nineteen years later I am still at BBC WM (I’m paid now!) and I’ve worked right across the station. I currently produce the Ed Doolan show on a Sunday. The programme showcases Ed’s interviews from an archive spanning 40 years.
When I heard about the planned BBC Outreach workshop at Unity Radio in Manchester, where the presenters are volunteers, I jumped at the chance. I’d been in their shoes - having such a passion for something that they give their time freely.
Unity Radio broadcasts on FM and on the internet and plays a range of local, national and international dance and urban music, with a target audience of 15-40 years.
Justin Bones from BBC Radio 5live planned the workshop and I assisted him on the night. We met at Unity Radio’s premises on a warm June evening and we were over the moon when 20 staff chose our workshop over the beer garden.
It was a very relaxed setting and there was lots of laughter as we discussed ideas for talking points and where to find ideas. We listened to audio I provided from similar radio stations and discussed how to engage the listener in the 20 seconds between music tracks. I took along a short video of a presenter from BBC WM where he explains how he finds ideas for his show.
The group were really enthusiastic; they care about their station and want to do their very best. They asked plenty of questions and threw themselves in to group work. It was a real joy to see.
They obviously know what they are doing and our challenge was to not “teach grandma to suck eggs”, but to help them progress in the right direction they are already going. I think we achieved this, as the group came back for more after their break and were very grateful at the end.
I have never done anything like this before and despite my initial nerves, I really enjoyed it. I came out smiling, not just because it was a first for me, but because I had spent an evening with a group of people who have the same passion for radio as me … the future generation of radio.
Unity Radio was a successful applicant through BBC Outreach's Community Doorway scheme which offers community and voluntary groups and charities the opportunity to apply to work with BBC volunteers on mutually-beneficial projects.
BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility brings the BBC closer to its audiences - particularly those audiences we have identified as harder to reach - with face-to-face activity, community support and staff volunteering.