Margate Radio, rooted in the heart of Margate, has grown from a single weekly show during the initial COVID-19 lockdown into a bustling community radio station broadcasting every weekend. Today, we proudly broadcast over 90 diverse shows, all crafted by our passionate community. Our reach has expanded beyond our local borders, with listeners from 80 different countries. However, we've reached a pivotal juncture. The broadcasting and DJ equipment, generously loaned to us, has now been returned at short notice. Without this equipment, there will be NO radio station. But with adversity comes opportunity. With your invaluable support, we can transition from dependency to autonomy. Achieving our funding goal will not only allow us to replace our equipment and secure our station's future but will also empower us to broaden our horizons. This includes delivering broader content and fostering deeper community engagement, ensuring Margate Radio remains a symbol of unity and creativity.

What we'll deliver:

• Establish a fully equipped community radio booth, a space where 80+ hosts and producers can meet, play, learn, and teach
• Broadcast live for a target of 48 weekends a year, to counteract social isolation and promote wellbeing.
• Provide thousands of publicly-accessible archived shows, showcasing Margate to listeners around the world.

Why it's a great idea:

Margate Radio, with its roster of over 80 Thanet-based show hosts, serves as a beacon for local voices from diverse identities and backgrounds. This platform instills a profound sense of community pride and unity. Our station acts as a bridge, connecting individuals by offering them a space to share their stories and experiences. This not only combats social isolation but also creates a deep sense of belonging and togetherness. Once we have stabilised the booth and station for the future, the station can then expand and offer more comprehensive programming, and the support to produce this content. With the right tools, we can delve deeper into local initiatives and topics, ensuring our content remains relevant and impactful. This solid foundation will then pave the way for us to forge collaborations with other local organisations. Our proven success in youth workshops will then continue, guaranteeing that young individuals, especially from underserved communities, are given a voice.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchase and install radio booth studio equipment
• Relaunch programming of broadcasts and promotion of archived shows for 2024
• Establish policies for station participation and governance

By saving Margate Radio, you'll be supporting the community behind: - 60,438 total listens to live broadcasts - 1898 shows on archive, with 46,158 total archive plays, for 923,909 minutes listened - 63k visitors to the Margate Radio website - 86 active show hosts - 248 community survey respondents who would be "disappointed" if Margate Radio stopped existing! (Sources: Internal data from Mixlr and Mixcloud, as of 21 August 2023; Margate Radio Community Survey, as of 5 Sep 2023)