www.gaydio.co.uk

Later this year, Manchester will see the launch of the country’s first FM radio station for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people. Gaydio was awarded the licence for Manchester’s LGB&T community in 2008 after a couple of years worth of month-long trials, and the group is now getting ready to flick the switch on the full time service.  The key thing is that the radio station and its presenters will talk from an LGB&T perspective, it will “know where you’re coming from”.

Since the first pilot broadcast in 2006, volunteers from all walks of life have been involved, and that’s how Gaydio is able to capture the different interests, opinions and attitudes of Manchester’s diverse LGB&T community. That’s going to carry on as the station launches full time and as the group is working with organisations from across the country to make sure the service is as inclusive as possible. In the past, volunteers have done everything from boiling the kettle to presenting live shows from Gran Canaria. Some volunteers have been passionate about radio since they were children; others had no experience and just loads of enthusiasm.

Over the past few years, Gaydio has received plenty of applications to volunteer for the station, but not enough of them have been from members of the trans community.

*So before the station launches later this year, the Manchester Pride Community fund has funded a programme of workshops that will train individuals with the basic skills required to participate as volunteer broadcasters*

Alongside radio training, sessions may be offered in digital design and social media which will give participants a greater range of skills and build the capacity of TREC.

With funding from Manchester Pride, TREC will receive audio recording equipment that will enable members to create and publish their own Podcasts.

If you take part in the workshops, you don’t have to volunteer for Gaydio after it’s finished, but you might fancy it.