Radio 1 has announced details of six community projects it's supporting next month when the station decamps to Carlisle for the Big Weekend featuring Lady Gaga and Foo Fighters.
The station's working with the Carlisle Youth Zone and the city council for what it calls the 'biggest and most ambitious social action campaign' around the Big Weekend to date.
The idea is to give young people a chance to participate in volunteering and also leave a legacy from the BBC's free outdoor music event.
Projects range from tidying up and decorating community centres, youth clubs and a music venue to helping make parks and green spaces more attractive. Radio 1 presenter Vernon Kay will be broadcasting live from the projects on Saturday 7th May – the week before the Big Weekend – as the 200 volunteers get to work.
Vernon said: "I'm really looking forward to going to Carlisle ahead of Radio 1's Big Weekend to help out in the local community, alongside Carlisle Youth Zone and Carlisle City Council. I hope that my army of young volunteers and I can get really stuck into the heart of the community and leave a great legacy in the city and I’m thrilled that, by broadcasting my Radio 1 show live from the city, I can raise awareness of the good work they are doing."
Piers Bradford, BBC Radio 1’s Commissioning Editor added: "The idea for this project came out of a meeting between Carlisle Council, the Carlisle Youth Zone and Radio 1 where we talked about tackling specific needs of the local area. The theme of encouraging young people to get involved in volunteering came through loud and clear. I’m really excited about the prospect of leaving a network of young volunteers who will hopefully continue to get involved with projects long after the Big Weekend has left Carlisle."