Welcome to the BCB newsletter for August. Here’s just a few things that have been going on at BCB and some events that are coming up:

 

Bradford Literature Festival

 

 

 

Well done to everyone who contributed to this years Bradford Lit Fest broadcasting on BCB. Over 25 BCB volunteers were involved in Lit Fest broadcasting, both in the BCB studios and at Centenary Square, which was just great. We broadcast 71 BLF interviews, both in the weeks leading up to the festival as well as over the festival period. We brought the Radiobox back into City Park for the festival, and broadcast a daily programme from ‘Live from Lit Fest’ 1-2pm on weekdays and 2-4pm at weekends – as well as many of our regular daytime programmes coming from the Radio box over the festival period. The new satellite link back to the studio that Rich Halfpenny has set up has worked a treat and has taken away the anxiety of getting a good connection for live broadcasting. Phew! Thanks everyone – it was hard work but good fun!

 

BCB 106.6FM – Live in the RadioBox

 

Following the success of our live broadcasts from the RadioBox during Bradford Literature Festival at the beginning of July, Bradford Council’s events team extended the invitation for us to broadcast from the RadioBox in Centenary Square in July and August.

 

Taking advantage of the warm, sunny weather and school holidays, we’ve been broadcasting About Bradford, Round Table and Bradford & Beyond during the days and we’ve also broadcast live at weekends from the Bradford Festival and the Bradford City Mela.

 

We’ve also got lot of live broadcasting coming up form the RadioBox in Centenary Sqaure in August, including About Bradford, Round Table and Bradford & Beyond, Bradford African Arts Festival on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August and Bradford Pride on Saturday 15th August.

 

If you’d like to be part of our RadioBox team as a co-presenter, roving reporter, broadcast or technical support, or driving the desk in the studio at Bradford Arts Centre, please call Jonathan Pinfield on 01274 771677 or email jonathan.pinfield@bcbradio.co.uk

 

Introducing Sally Cooper – BCB staff team addition!

 

We are delighted to let you know that Sally Cooper will be joining the BCB staff team as Broadcast Support Worker (maternity cover). She started work on Monday 3 August. For those with a long memory, you may remember that Sally worked at BCB many years ago- 18 years in fact – on a special broadcast project funded by DEFRA, using radio to raise awareness of Climate Change. She then went on to spend a long period at South Leeds Community Radio. So we are very pleased that she is back with us again. Do say hello and make her welcome when you next come into BCB.

 

Radio 119

 

Radio 119 visited and interviewed Bradford Live to talk about the venue and their upcoming events. The team also attended a Mencap event where they interviewed different organisations about how they supporting people with learning disabilities. The team also visited Salts Mill to research for their upcoming David Hockney show and visited Little Germany to look at the stone furniture sculptures there. Finally the team created a music show using the studio to build up their broadcasting skills.

 

The Beacon at Wibsey Park

 

The Beacon, which toured the district in 2025 as part of our UK City of Culture Year, is taking up residence in Bradford South in Wibsey Park, playing host to a range of events from 1-31st August.

 

Throughout the summer holidays, The Beacon will be hosting family-friendly events, comedy, live music, performance, play, and community-powered days out.

 

We’d like to broadcast live from the Beacon, go along and report on the events & activities and also promote BCB to people in Wibsey Park. If you’ve time in August to visit the Beacon, broadcast live, report on what’s happening or go along to chat to people about BCB and tell people how they can get involved with us, please call Jonathan Pinfield on 01274 771677 or email jonathan.pinfield@bcbradio.co.uk

 

Radio Times

 

Exciting news we have been running new training sessions with a new cohort for Radio Times. Radio Times is a rolling programme encouraging volunteers that are 55+ to learn about broadcasting, work toward having a live broadcast and meeting new people and developing new skills. Some of the group have been observing and taking part in our existing Radio Times that is broadcast live every Tuesday afternoon 2.15pm to 3.00pm.

 

The new group for Radio Times meets at 2.00pm every Wednesday – feel free to drop in to see us or contact Dipak – dipak.mistry@bcbradio.co.uk

 

Hear My Voice

 

Hear My Voice is going from strength to strength with a regular fortnightly broadcast on Thursday afternoons 1.00pm to 2.00pm. Hear My Voice is formed of a group of volunteers that have lived experience as refugees or seeking asylum. The group regularly interview guests that have had similar experiences or support those that have, they cover a wide range of subjects from their favourite foods and traditions from their motherlands, to discussing settling in a new land to their hopes for their future.

 

If you’re interested in finding out more about Hear My Voice you can email them directly – hearmyvoice@bcbradio.co.uk

 

New Volunteer Session

 

Interested in becoming a volunteer presenter at BCB Radio? Drop us a line at hello@bcbradio.co.uk

 

We have regular training sessions for new volunteer presenters and are just coming to the end with two groups that we hope will be presenting soon.

 

The volunteer presenter training includes learning how to plan and script a show, how to “drive” the studio desk, editing and rules and regulations of broadcasting. Some volunteers want to create specialist music shows, others magazine programmes and some would like to take part in live broadcasts both inside and outside the studios.

 

We plan to have once a month taster sessions for those of you that are interested in joining us. Please keep an eye out for future details.

 

National Year of Reading: ‘Go All In!’

 

As part of BCB’s contribution to NYOR, over the summer we are ‘Going All In!’ and using the radio to talk up reading. We are planning regular daily slots  This will be at two different times during the day: around  11.15 am and 4.15pm.

 

We are looking for people to come into the radio and chat informally to us for about 7-10 mins about a range of subjects to do with reading and/or books: e.g. what they are reading at the moment, what part reading plays in their life, books that they remember from childhood, use of libraries, books that had impact on them, favourite authors, comics and magazines, audio books and e-books, book groups, etc.

 

We want to hear from a wide range of people, capturing a full range of voices and experiences, ages and backgrounds. If you are up for it, please get in contact with hello@bcbradio.co.uk  with NYOR on BCB in the subject line and let us know when would be a good time for you to contribute. And please do pass this on to anyone who might be interested.

 

Featured Programme of the Month

 

Every month we shine the spotlight on one programme in BCB’s broadcast schedule. This month we’re telling you about Radio Venus which is a long running BCB programme that has recently come back into the schedule.

 

Radio Venus goes out every fourth Wednesday 6-6:30pm with Ellie Cansdale. The show is an oasis of fine female broadcasting and aims to highlight the important work of women across a variety of industries. On recent shows Ellie has chatted to Grace Wilkinson about periods and PMLS, writer Jennifer Johnson about her work at Yorkshire Fringe and Bradford theatre company Bloomin’ Buds about their RND for their new piece about home.