Chesterfield Radio links with Freedom Community Project to train underprivileged young adults in broadcasting

Chesterfield Radio and Bolsover-based Freedom Community Project have launched the initiative to help improve confidence and employability.

Paul Wragsdale, station director at Chesterfield Radio, said: “We feel that there are quite a few young adults that have fallen through the gaps from education to employment and if we can help them by providing skills through a fun way to learn we can eventually close those gaps so future generations of our communities won’t feel failed. We might even find the next Chris Evans or Zoe Ball!”

The training will be provided by the online station at their studio and office on the Storforth Lane Trading Estate and will cover all elements of radio broadcasting.

"We want to be part of the fabric of our community and help where we can,” said Paul. “It’s been a turbulent couple of years and people turned to the station for a bit of entertainment and light relief and we want to keep this going well into the future. This partnership will ensure we can do that, and we were extremely grateful to Mark and the team at Freedom for providing the opportunity to set this up”.

The Freedom Community Project was launched by Mark North in 2008 to support people struggling with poverty in Bolsover. Since then, the project has grown to cover the North-East Midlands and Yorkshire and now has 14 support centres.

Mark, chief executive officer of the charity, said: “Freedom is excited to be working with Chesterfield Radio on this great project. We believe the project is going to have a massive impact on young people’s lives across our area.”

The training will also, hopefully, be delivered in schools across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire capturing the pupils before they leave school giving them a head start in life with communication and conversational skills which can then be used in interviews they may attend for employment.

This project, if successful could change the lives of hundreds if not thousands of young people who feel they are forgotten.