I’m excited to share a set of community-focused activities taking place across Leicester in spring 2026 that may be of interest to volunteers and organisations involved in community media, local storytelling, and civic participation.
These events offer practical opportunities to develop skills in community reporting, hosting and facilitating public activities, and sharing ideas about how local media contributes to a sense of belonging, shared history, and understanding of the places we live in and come from.
To mark World Radio Day, Documentary Media Centre and Decentered Media will host an informal pop-in podcast recording from 9am to 12pm on Friday 13 February 2026 at Leicester Adult Education College. This UNESCO-recognised day provides a useful opportunity for reflecting on the role of radio and audio media in public life, with scope for volunteer involvement in discussion, recording, and participatory activities. Further information is available at https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio.
To mark International Mother Language Day Evington Echo, Soar Sound and the Parallel Lives Network are hosting an informal pop-in podcast recording from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 21 February 2026, hosted at Bishop Street Chapel Café. This event offers a strong link between language, identity, and cultural heritage, and is particularly relevant to community reporting and oral history approaches. More information about the day is available via UNESCO at https://www.unesco.org/en/days/mother-language.
This year’s Heritage Hub Day will be held on Saturday 21 March 2026 at the University of Leicester. The Independent Heritage Network is bringing together community reporters to interact with researchers, practitioners, and community groups interested in heritage, memory, and public engagement, and provides a valuable space for exchanging ideas and exploring collaborative approaches. Details can be found at https://le.ac.uk/research/natural-heritage/heritage-hub.
Finally, The Leicester Old Town Festival takes place on Saturday 25 April 2026 in the Leicester Cathedral area. Soar Sound and Evington Echo are planning an outside broadcast from the festival, and will be supporting community reporters to capture and share stories about and from the day. This established public festival presents opportunities for community media volunteers to document events, engage with local histories, and support inclusive storytelling in public spaces. Further information is available at https://visitleicester.info/festival/old-town-festival/.
Taken together, these activities form an exciting programme of opportunities for people interested in developing community media practice in ways that are grounded in place, history, and everyday civic life. Members are encouraged to consider how they, their organisations, or their volunteers might take part, collaborate, or simply attend and observe.
I’ll follow up with more details soon, so keep a note of these dates in your diary. If you would like to discuss how community media volunteers might be supported to engage with any of these activities, or to share information with others in your network, please feel free to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Rob