How can collaborative community media strengthen local connections and cultural life? What benefits do volunteers gain by sharing their skills with grassroots media projects? Why do initiatives like the Evington Echo, UTSAV, Satsang, and Soar Sound Radio need wider support to remain sustainable? What role can professional expertise play in helping these organisations develop robust governance, training, and creative capacity? How does active participation in local media enhance personal growth, build networks, and contribute to inclusive civic engagement?
Community media is often described as a space for voices that might otherwise go unheard, but its strength lies in something even more fundamental: collaboration. That theme came through strongly in our recent episode of Spotlight on Arts, broadcast on Soar Sound Radio, where the tables were turned and John Coster and I became the subjects of the conversation. Being interviewed was an interesting change of perspective, giving us the chance to reflect on why collaborative, place-based media matters and how it continues to shape life in Leicester.
Spotlight on Arts – Soar Sound
What struck me most during this programme was the passion and dedication of the people involved in running the Evington Echo, UTSAV, Satsang, and Soar Sound Radio. These organisations are driven by a shared commitment to bringing communities together, celebrating culture, and providing platforms for voices that reflect Leicester’s diversity and creativity. Whether it is a local newsletter chronicling neighbourhood life, an arts event connecting generations, or a radio station giving airtime to stories that matter, the sense of purpose and enthusiasm is unmistakable.
However, passion alone cannot guarantee sustainability. Each of these organisations faces a common challenge: the need for more people to get involved. Behind the broadcasts, articles, and events are countless hours of work—administration, training, fundraising, content production, and technical support. These tasks are essential if community media groups are to thrive, but they are often carried out by a handful of dedicated individuals.
This is where collaboration and participation make the difference. By sharing professional skills and experience, volunteers can help to put community media on a firmer footing. The benefits of doing so are mutual and tangible:
- Professional Development: Working with a community media group is an opportunity to apply and expand your skills in real-world settings, from digital production and content creation to project management and strategic planning.
- Creative Expression: These platforms are spaces for experimentation and innovation. They allow people to test new ideas, tell stories in fresh ways, and explore creative forms of communication that mainstream channels rarely accommodate.
- Stronger Networks: Volunteering fosters connections across sectors—arts, education, public services, and local business—creating relationships that can lead to new opportunities and collaborations.
- Civic Contribution: Supporting community media is more than a hobby; it’s a contribution to local democracy and cultural life. It helps ensure that people have access to trusted, relevant information and opportunities to participate in shared conversations.
- Personal Fulfilment: There is a real sense of achievement in helping a local project grow, and in knowing that your efforts have supported something meaningful for others.
The people we spoke to during Spotlight on Arts reminded us that these projects succeed when communities feel they belong to them. Sustainability isn’t just about funding or infrastructure—it’s about people coming together, sharing knowledge, and working with mutual respect and purpose.
If you have experience in media, arts administration, finance, training, or simply the enthusiasm to learn and contribute, now is the time to get involved. Community media in Leicester is not just telling stories—it is building the frameworks for connection and understanding that our society desperately needs. Your skills and ideas could make a real difference.