This proposal outlines an opportunity to integrate Community Media Hubs into Leicester’s network of libraries and community centres as part of the current reorganisation proposals by Leicester City Council. These hubs will serve as vital platforms for locally based civic participation, digital inclusion, media literacy, cultural, civic and democratic engagement—offering residents the means to share their voices, stories, and knowledge through a range of community-driven media formats.
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Rationale
Leicester’s libraries have long been recognised not only as repositories of knowledge, but as civic infrastructures supporting inclusive learning, social connection, and personal development. As the way people communicate, learn, and share information changes, it is essential that the library estate evolves accordingly. By embedding Community Media Hubs within selected library sites, the city can build capacity for people to tell their own stories, report on their own communities, and develop relevant skills for the digital age.
These hubs will support the development of:
- Local newsletters, community newspapers, and zines.
- Podcasts and digital audio features.
- Community news bulletins and interviews.
- Place-based radio programming.
- Digital storytelling and oral history projects.
- Social media content development rooted in civic identity, heritage and expression.
Vision and Alignment with Foundational Media Principles
This proposal is grounded in the concept of Foundational Media, which recognises that communication infrastructure should be community-oriented, resilient, and responsive to the everyday needs of citizens. Foundational Media is:
- Place-based: rooted in local context and cultural identity
- Relational: fostering dialogue, participation, and mutual learning
- Inclusive: enabling access for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities
- Collaborative: developed through partnerships between communities, local authorities, public institutions, and civic organisations
- Sustainable: supported by shared governance and long-term capacity building
The Community Media Hubs model would enhance the library service’s existing civic role, by providing the infrastructure, support, and culture required for participatory media production.
Proposed Functions of Each Hub
Each Community Media Hub would include:
- A small studio or quiet recording space for interviews, podcasts, and radio content.
- Shared equipment such as microphones, audio recorders, video cameras, editing workstations.
- Access to media production software and editorial tools.
- Opportunities for training, mentoring, and skills development.
- Open access publishing and broadcast channels for distribution.
The development of these hubs would be advanced based on partnerships with community radio stations, community news platforms, schools, colleges, museums, arts organisations, health services, and other local service providers. These hubs would be supported by local practitioners and volunteers and coordinated through a city-wide network, enabling shared learning and collaborative projects.
Potential Sites and Phased Rollout
We propose piloting three initial hubs in neighbourhood library locations where strong community ties already exist and where usage levels justify continued investment. Evington Library would be a strong candidate for a pilot site, due to the interest of existing community stakeholders and the strategic potential for intergenerational, multilingual, and cross-cultural participation. Following evaluation, additional hubs could be established in other key areas, ensuring citywide access.
Partnerships and Governance
Leicester Digital Partnership CIC is willing to act as the coordinating organisation, bringing together relevant partners and providing operational expertise from our experience managing the city’s small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex. We propose a co-governance model involving:
- Leicester City Council (Libraries, Culture and Neighbourhood Services).
- Local colleges and adult learning providers.
- Community organisations and charities.
- Public health and wellbeing services.
- Independent civic media producers and stations.
This partnership model would ensure a broad base of support and a diversity of inputs into programming and content, with due recognition of the editorial independence, self-governance and regulation for each participating group, for example ratio stations that are licensed by Ofcom, or news platforms that are regulated with IMPRESS.
Outcomes and Benefits
The Community Media Hubs model would deliver:
- Improved digital and communication skills among residents.
- New pathways for civic engagement and community voice.
- Strengthened relationships between residents and public services.
- Cultural participation and local storytelling opportunities.
- Visibility for underrepresented groups and neighbourhoods.
- A cost-effective use of existing civic infrastructure to deliver high social value.
Next Steps
We propose that this model is included for consideration in the library reorganisation process and that a working group is established to explore practical steps to initiate a pilot programme, identify funding opportunities, and define evaluation metrics. Leicester Digital Partnership CIC is ready to convene this group and begin engagement with relevant stakeholders from July 2025.