KVFM, December 2009

So much to say, so little space, so little time.

KVFM December 2009 was a triumph and it has strengthened my commitment to fulltime community radio for Kensington and Fairfield.

For two weeks in December, KVFM was broadcasting from a glass box in McDonalds on Kensington.

Wendy, Liam and I had our own show on Saturday 12th December, which we decided we would use to launch RESPECT week which began on the following Monday. We invited Police Inspector Paul Harrison to join us as a guest, to talk about those aspects of RESPECT week that involved the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour. We invited Cathy Patterson from LCC to talk about the environment work we were undertaking that week, and we asked Lindsey from the Merseyside Fire Safety Network to talk about her work with the detached workers Youth Team in Kensington and Fairfield. The show was a great success and I will be linking to it via a podcast once they have been uploaded on the KVFM blog.

I then appeared as a guest on the Merseyside Polonia show, with the delightful Gosia McKane talking about why the K&F ward councillors thought it important to help fund the project through our devolved budget.

I was also a guest on the St Michael's RC Primary School show, talking about our fantastic art project in the subway/underpass that runs beneath West Derby Road between the school and the old Ogden's factory - more on this project later. The interviewers asked some really tough questions and threw quite a few curve balls but I think I got on top of most of them, I even did a Lenny Henry impression at one point (you probably had to be there).

And then for our piece de resistance, Wendy and I did a show with young people from the City and North Liverpool Youth Advisory Group (the YAG) all about politics. Not Party Politics of course, the licence does not allow for that. It was about the nature of representative democracy, what kind of person young people would like to represent them, whether we should lower the age of voting to 16 - that sort of thing. They were thrilled that the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Hazel Williams, was able to join them in the studio, she was really good with them and I think enjoyed it as much as they did.

The radio project went really well as it always does.

We were graced with good presenters (Cath Taylor on the last day was my favourite, looking at carers and those they care for) and great guests. We had Billy Butler to open the radio and the Lord Mayor at hand on the last day.

What a shame that the organisers had to run the project at cost this time. We supported them from our devolved budget because it is easy to see the benefits for our local schools and pupils, for our local organisations, businesses and individuals. But sadly some previous funders did not cough up this time. I hope they will come to see how special this project is and put their money behind it in the future.

And what a scandal that a project so precious to local people has never been supported by Kensington Regeneration. Something that has brought together literally thousands of local people who live within the bounds of the New Deal, has never once been deemed important or special enough for them to fund even so much as a poster.

Well done to everyone, as soon as the podcasts are up, I will link to them.