It’s no secret that the Cotswolds is full of historic monuments, charming places and beautiful landscapes. We want to go further and tell the stories of the people behind the Cotswolds and their fascinating tales about life in the region. During the winter months we will deliver an exclusive run of twelve weekly podcast episodes, each around 20 minutes in length. From these episodes we will select three to produce into video features, and promote these on our YouTube channel,The Cotswold Explorer, which has more than 10 thousand daily viewers. The podcasts and videos will be of the highest quality and with raconteur, Robin Shuckburgh as the presenter, will be of the best editorial standards. We'll give a voice to an older generation, many of whom have felt isolated and forgotten during the Covid pandemic. Then by encouraging comments and sharing on the newly created web platform, we hope to create a treasure trove of memoirs and different life experiences from across the region.

What we'll deliver:

• 12 x 20 Minute Podcast Episodes Interviewing Inspirational Individuals
• 3 x 20 Minute Video Features Illustrating Podcast Stories
• Website to Host Content & Build Community

Why it's a great idea:

With loneliness and isolation on the rise as well as travel and tourism taking a big hit, we want to help local people reconnect with the Cotswolds in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, simply by tuning into a podcast and video series. Many are now ready to celebrate what makes the region and local community so unique, especially now that most restrictions have ended. We want to give a voice to inspirational locals, often the older people in our community who feel forgotten, undervalued and left behind. Yet these people have incredible stories to share about life in The Cotswolds. Using the power of storytelling we expect to create a real buzz about some of these extraordinary people and places around the region. The series will promote the region to a large audience and we expect this will help to rejuvenate the local economy and travel in addition to a positive connection with the Cotswolds.

Steps to get it done:

• Recording and editing the twelve podcast episodes
• Filming and Production of the three feature videos
• Creation and Management of the Landing Page that will Host Content
• Weekly Release of these episodes over the winter months
• Marketing and Promotion of the content and stories

As opposed to starting a new platform from scratch we will leverage a growing fanbase across The Cotswold Explorer YouTube channel and social media platforms. This is a ready-made audience who are passionate about the Cotswolds. We believe that they will also enjoy untold stories of the people behind the area. This is key to the success of the podcast and video series, as the more people watching and listening in the first place, the more interest we can generate across the region and the bigger the impact we will have.