Kyle Wilson, Generate Radio, Scottish Borders (Level 1 & Level 2 Awardee)
Kyle and Oscar McAndrew are both 18 years old and live in Duns in the Scottish Borders and have written this case study in their own words.
Generate Radio C.I.C. was set us as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee in May 2010. We set up the radio station due to the fact that there was no creative media in the area what so ever. The current radio station is not 'local' to Berwickshire any more due to it being networked from Glasgow. So our idea was to bring community radio right back to the grass roots of the community of Berwickshire by offering them a local broadcasting service.
Key Facts
- Set up as a CIC in May 2010
- Started broadcasting in Sept 2010
- Broadcasting 24/7 ever since
- 50+ volunteers ranging from 11 years old to 70 years old
- Currently awaiting to hear from Ofcom about a 5 year community FM Licence
Awards
- Level 1 award of £3,931 in April 2010 - completed
- Level 2 award of £10,000 in June 2011 - active
Journey High Points
- Establishing as an organisation
- Started broadcasting
- The huge increase in volunteers
- The support from the local community
Journey Low Points
- Not being taken seriously because of our age (16 years old when we received Level 1)
- Being knocked back by numerous funders
The Difference Made
I think for both of us being given that first bit of funding that enabled us to get started boosted our confidence a great deal. We now have a clear understanding of social enterprise and over two years experience at running one!
Vital Firstport Ingredients
- Level 1 – This award was the one that got us started, without receiving this we wouldn't be where we are today!
- Level 2 – Again this award made a vital impact on our project by allowing both Oscar and I to receive some living expenses for the many hours we put in to the radio station.
- The guys from Firstport have been excellent and supported us in every possible way from setting up the business, to our business plan, to becoming sustainable.
Future Prospects
In our first year we have achieved our goal of setting up the radio station, broadcasting to the community via the internet and bringing in a number of volunteers. We have recently submitted an FM application for a 5 year community licence to Ofcom and we aim to broadcasting via FM medium by Oct 2012.