[cma-l] Comic Relief & Community Media

[Canalside's The Thread]

We’re very much up for this Paul 
.. if we can support it we will. This is
of course regardless of funding or not. Over the last 14 years we’ve done
hundreds of things 

 and without funding. For free where possible.

 

However, I feel I have a duty to mention this.

 

A number of years ago (4 – ish) we ran some projects in here over a period
of 6 months with local charities who looked after youngsters with
Disabilities and Epilepsy 
. (I understand Epilepsy as I suffer with it
myself)      It was coaxing and tough work as a lot of the time you are one
to one. This isn’t a problem of course providing you have funding and
providing the ‘’’other bread and butter work’’’ that the Station needs is
tootling along in the background.

 

I have to be honest, it was a trial, done as a Pilot --- and it worked, and
two of the groups are always contacting us to take part again. Unfortunately
because we are short staffed due to ‘’’lack’’’ of funding and volunteers are
here there and everywhere, we have had to knock it in the head for now ----
this is something we don’t want to do, but such is Community Radio life.

We are down to skeleton at the moment as most of our Team have died owing to
stress and frustration. I’m soldiering on at the moment as I am Captain
Scarlet.

 

After proving or at least what we thought was proving it worked and many of
the youngsters going out on our Youth Station Phase One we applied for Red
Nose Children in Need & Comic Relief (or whatever it is called)
we didn’t even get past point 1      ie:- not even out of the starting
blocks and when we finally managed to find out why, they said they don’t
support Radio Stations !                       of course we tried all of our
persuasive powers to point out that they didn’t clearly understand the
difference between Radio (commercial)    and Community Radio (what we do)
I would have been better off spending the half an hour talking to the Ducks
outside, 3 of which have just wandered into the Office   LOL   (they are
regular visitors)      in fact on many things to do with our beloved
Community Radio Bill I get a better conversation and response from the
Ducks.

 

It further demonstrates [regardless what some of our cotton wool fluffy
fraternity like to believe] that in 14 years we have part failed as a group,
as many out there simply do not understand what we do and why we do it.

I know the CMA are stretched, but someone employed who sole job it is to
talk to ALL the funders and wave the flag and explain to them what we do
would be a good call --------- perhaps something the Fund could    er?  Fund
????

 

We get especially frustrated and angry when we constantly see (certainly
around this area) monies coming from all directions to support local arty
farty garbage that is only of any interest to a nitsche middle class click.
We neverless always promote the events on our Station and Thread guide, so
no soar grapes there.

The grant funding malarkey as well as our Community Radio Bill has gone way
off-piste and it needs wrestling back 
.. how we do that I do not know, as I
am but a mere insect.

 

With all this in mind, we still after 14 Years have PRS/PPL wanting to
implement reports on percentages to monies gained which by the way anyone
with half a brain knows this is GROSS and NOT NET !     [please be told
before I lose the will to live]    our Net is = zero---- and hey presto, we
have still got restrictions.

I don’t want a debate on PRS/PPL nor restrictions again as the swamp is
drained of all arguments and our heads are sore
. However it is only right
and proper to keep mentioning it because if nothing else it is on a
Principal wrong wrong wrong and will always be wrong possibly for the next
14 years as we are a bunch of wet lettuces who couldn’t fight their way out
of a paper bag. On a moral issue they have the morals of an Alley Cat.

 

You know my feelings on it all, I would roll all the restrictions up into a
bin bag and dump em on the DCMS steps with a note attached saying   ‘’we’re
sick of it, bring it on’’

 

To conclude ---- we would very much like to do and run these projects for
disadvantaged youngsters, we are set up and ready to go. We like many of our
Stations have worked tirelessly for peanuts whilst getting kicked from all
sides and we deserve better and we deserve a bit of good luck and good
fortune ---- sadly we can’t reach the promised land because we / I spend
most of my time firefighting with clots.

 

I hope I haven’t upset or insulted anyone, I am merely saying it in
straightforward working class down to earth laymans terms which does I know
come across slightly strange to many in our Industry as the working class
are not meant to be in Radio.

 

Keep up the good work everyone 
. Well done Paul, well done the CMA
onwards and Upwards, to infinity and beyond

 

Have a good weekend

 

Oh   and the original topic      the Man from Del Monte’ say ‘’yes’’

 

Lord Dumpty / Chairman/Trustee of Macc & District Banging ones head against
a brick wall Society

 

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Paul Pennington
Sent: 20 January 2017 10:15
To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Subject: [cma-l] Comic Relief & Community Media

 

Dear All,

 

For those who were able to attend the CMA AGM in December, you will have
heard me speak as a voluntary ambassador for Comic Relief who will be
launching their Red Nose Day 2017 campaign shortly.  

 

As their press launch is only a couple of weeks away, they are ‘ramping up’
by getting regional project visits and interviews booked in the diary. They
are keen to hear from community radio stations (TV & Print titles)  who
would like to get involved in supporting Red Nose Day  2017.  They can offer
project visits, fundraising stories, local school stories and perhaps a bit
of celeb time too (this will be TBC).  As many of you know Comic Relief
provides around £25million pounds of funding each year to projects right
across the UK, including community radio stations – they are, quite rightly,
very proud, thanks to the magnificent support of the public,  of the work
they have supported in communities  across the UK in the likes of mental
health, domestic violence and homelessness, to name but three.      

 

I have offered to act as a point of contact/liaison for community stations
and comic relief – so please let me know ASAP via paul at wordonhealth.com
<mailto:paul at wordonhealth.com>   if your station would like to get involved.
Can I also say a big thank you to the Community Media Association for their
support.

 

Best

 

Paul P

 

 

Paul Pennington

Word On Health

paulpennington at btconnect.com <mailto:paulpennington at btconnect.com> 

@wordonhealth

T: 020 7272 3915

 

 <http://www.wordonhealth.com> www.wordonhealth.com  is the home of our
not-for-profit company and radio series, now in its 21st year, that features
on local independent & community radio stations across the UK. 

 

We receive no external funding to make the Word On Health radio series.
Please help us stay ‘on-air’ by making a donation or by buying one of our
media training, radio or video production packages as part of our
crowdfunding campaign  <https://chuffed.org/project/word-on-health>
https://chuffed.org/project/word-on-health 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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