The Community Media Association and Radio Regen have launched a new website designed to provide help and support to the growing number of Community Radio stations around the UK.
The Community Radio Toolkit has been described as "A place for community radio people to learn, talk, and share."
Forums, features, polls and more make up the website, which has been mainly funded by the DCMS.
Broadcasting Minister Shaun Woodward welcomed the launch of the brand new Community Radio Toolkit Website and online community. He said; “This Toolkit will enable enthusiasts of community radio to use the world wide web to share ideas and pick up tips.
“Initiatives like this will not only help those already enjoying Community Radio, but also bring new fans to this exciting and important new way of broadcasting.”
Radio Regen and the CMA hope that the many newly emerging community radio stations — around 300 licences could be allocated by Ofcom in the next 5 years – will find both the resources and the access to help from colleagues in the sector supportive and inspiring to their work in their local community.
Toolkit author and Director of Radio Regen Phil Korbel says:
“With 107 full time licences just issued community radio in the UK is springing into life. If by linking the resources in the Toolkit book to the ‘nous’ of the sector and providing a place to swap notes and chat then I hope that the sector can help propel itself forward. There’s so much knowledge out there amongst community radio people — we’re just asking people not to keep it to themselves.”
It is also hoped to make the site more user-friendly than the average online forum by having written digests of the discussions available to all members.
Jaqui Devereux , Acting Director of the CMA, said:
"The community radio sector has so much to shout about and this site will help us do it. It is a major resource for all current and aspiring Licence holders, projects wanting to do short term stations and the wider community media sector, with its emphasis on the involvement of local communities in making their own media. Sharing our experiences and examples of best practice strengthens the whole sector. We are also glad to be working on another successful project in partnership with Radio Regen."
You can visit the site at [link=http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net]communityradiotoolkit.net[/link].