Pictured is Kim Hyde from Sounds of Frome, Terry Stewart & Adam Baker of FromeFM, and Kate Hellard of Frome Town Council meeting students May, Amy, Ali, and Jazmine.
May Schymczyk, a yr9 student, has secured funding through the Frome Town Council’s Youth Bank to start a radio project at the College. Working in partnership with FromeFM, students will produce and record programmes of 30 minutes to be air fortnightly on the radio station. Programme content will vary from the monthly Newsdesk to community interest features. Already lined up are interviews with the local daycentre members; a special feature of the College’s work with the Somerset Earth Science Centre; and a review of a trip by textile students to the V&A ‘s Alexander McQueen exhibition. The students will also be helping staff make essential revision podcasts that will be available for download.
The aim of the radio project is not just to make radio features about College, but to help students engage with the wider community in Frome. To help with this, the expertise and local knowledge of ‘Home in Frome’, a community group celebrating, recording and sharing the unique character of Frome, has been recruited. Annabelle Macfadyen from the group said “This is a very interesting project and one that chimes very well with the work of Home in Frome. We are glad to be able to help young people reach out in to the community”.
All equipment was purchased locally from Sounds of Frome, and Kim Hyde, owner, shared his vast technical knowledge to get the perfect recording set up for students. An intensive radio training course, including OFCOM legislation, interview skills and radio editing was provided by Nick St.George and Terry Stewart from FromeFM, who will continue to mentor and provide technical knowledge to the project. Student experts May Schymczyk, Ali Jordan-Edney, Jazmine Carpenter, Amy Bell and Joe Brenni will join staff Jennie Smith, Susan Robinson, Lisa Millard and Jamie O’Pray in in assisting College students to make programmes. The project is open to anyone with any idea!
Programme making has already started, and the project will begin broadcast of its ‘Frome College Matters’ show on FromeFM from September this year.