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

BCB AGM 2023

Thanks to everyone who came to the this years AGM. As well all know it’s an important date in the BCB calendar so it was great that so many of us were able to come together to celebrate what we’ve achieved in 2023 and excitedly look ahead to 2024 (while enjoying a samosa or two of course!). After the AGM, members got the opportunity to ROAD test our new RODEcaster digital mixing desk and Rich Halfpenny was also on hand to take photos ahead of the launch of our new website.

Alan Bingley RIP

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of one of our oldest volunteers – Alan Bingley aged 96. Alan was part of our Radio 119 team for adults with learning disabilities and was a BCBer for over 20 years but  He was a brilliant asset to the team, always had a smile on his face and will be truly missed. RIP Alan Bingley

Bradford Music Month at BCB

This November was Bradford Music Month and everyone here at BCB was celebrating the amazing musical culture of Bradford. Every day on Bradford & Beyond we chatted with to a Bradfordian, whether that be a DJ, promoter, sound engineer, musician, working hard to make the Bradford music scene vibrant. We continued to feature a track by a Bradford artist every day on the programme to really show off some of our amazing talent as well encouraging our specialist music presenters to play more music from Bradford.The month was also to look ahead and get better at what we do. We’re looking for more women to get involved with our specialist music programming so during the month we held a taster session for Bradford women to find out more about what we do and get involved. This session will be the first of many so watch this space for the date of the next session.

Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions

You may be aware that we’ve teamed up with 509 Arts to work on a special project to rediscover the stories of Bradford’s recent textile past. Over the next few months we will be continuing the Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions project and working with several schools in the district to hunt out stories from former millworkers in Bradford.

BCB’s Jo Kenyon delivered an assembly to children at Beckfoot Primary in Heaton followed by a Q and A session, where one little girl asked her ‘Have you got any pets?’. Anyone who knows Jo knows she could talk about her dogs all day long! After this a group worked on interview techniques and are all super excited to join us at the BCB studios shortly.

Selection Box – 700th Show

It’s a real achievement to get 700 shows so congratulations to Patrick Thornton, who hosts Selection Box every Wednesday 9-10pm, for reaching the milestone! Here’s to the next 700!

Featured Programme of the

Month

Every month in the BCB newsletter we shine the spotlight on one particular programme on the BCB schedule. This week we’re telling you about a new show on BCB called Community Voices.

Community Voices goes out every fourth Wednesday 6-6:30pm and is brought you by Goodie Okechukwu. Every month Goodie chats to people from around the world whose journey has led them to Bradford. On previous show shows Goodie has been at the Irish In Britain conference and at the Polish Roman Catholic Church.

Schools

It has been a busy month on the schools front here at BCB! We’ve been continuing our work with Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy who have recently been learning how to edit, a skill that, according to pupil Vivvan is ‘the best thing ever!’.

We’ve also been working on Interviewing with The Academy at St James in Allerton, who were very excited to interrogate their teacher, Mr Miah!

Sophia Kupse – My time as a
new volunteer at BCB Radio

I completed my volunteer training at BCB radio in July 2023. By the end of September 2023, I launched my live health and wellbeing show ‘One Small Step’ a 45-minute speech-based programme that airs once a month on a Friday at 2.15pm. I invite a guest to share their music choices that have inspired their life, health and wellbeing. I also co-present with Tony Painter every Wednesday ‘About Bradford.’

BCB is an amazing environment to immerse yourself in. It’s a place where I’ve learned, after many life challenges, to reconnect myself back to me through the development of new skills, including technical and radio programming. BCB is a thriving hub of caring people that have become my second family with a big heart that supports community to flourish and grow.

Pupil Voice

We welcomed pupils from Belle Vue Girls’ Academy, Bradford Girls’ Grammar School and Immanuel College, as part of Bradford Citizens Pupil Voice Project. They made a special program where they discussed the cost-of-living from a young persons perspective, which will be broadcast as part of our Christmas Schedule!

Holiday Shows

It’s the holidays again and we are once again telling you when we’ll be closed. From Friday 22nd December we’ll be shut and we will be re-opening on Tuesday 2nd January.

If your programme is broadcast between Friday 22 December and Tuesday 2 January, the deadline for recording your show is Sunday 17th December. Please call BCB on 01274 771677 to book studio time ASAP

Please record programmes up to an including Friday 22nd December on the audiowall on Auto (Mon-Sun) programmes (unless your show is broadcast 1-in-2 or 1-in-4).

Please record programmes on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th December on the audiowall on Week 2 (Mon-Sun) programmes.

Please record programmes from Monday 25th December (Christmas Day) until Sunday 31st December on Week 3 (Mon-Sun) programmes.

Please record programmes from Monday 1st – Sunday 7th January on Week 4 (Mon-Sun) porgrammes.

Please double check your cart number with a member of staff BEFORE you record your programme.

If you’re recording your show from home, please email a link to xmas@bcbradio.co.uk including Tx (broadcast) date and time BEFORE Monday 18th December.

If you present About Bradford, The Afternoon Stretch or Bradford & Beyond, please record a 1 hour show BEFORE Monday 18th December that we can schedule a few times from 22nd December – 3rd January (if you present B&B, please call the show About Bradford).