Today (7th July), we at Shire Sounds celebrate our fourth birthday, but where did it all start?
Our Launch
Our launch event back in 2019 brought a celebration to Kettering town centre, with music performances from bands such as The Touch and A Time of Day.
We also saw a fantastic performance from local amateur theatre group Theats and one of our team members even shaved their head in the town centre to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support. The Mayor of Kettering, Cllr Kelly Watts, made an appearance during the launch celebrations as well!
The launch event was just the beginning of a fun-filled journey for us, and as we celebrate four years, we look back on some of our highlights throughout the years.
Station Manager, Charlie said: “Since the initial idea of a Kettering Community Radio station first came around in Spring 2019, I have grown and led the team from success to strength. We first launched with pride in our values of Community, Honesty & Creativity from day 1 and we still firmly work within these.
“It has been a real privilege to work with the team at Shire Sounds Radio and while it is cliché, we really are like 1 big family, a support network, an escape from the real world at times.”
“My personal biggest achievement at Shire Sounds Radio to date would be successfully remaining stable and providing a clear, community platform during the Coronavirus pandemic. This is when things really ramped up for us.”
How we’ve grown
Our radio station started as a Kettering-based station in 2019, but on the 2nd of January 2021, we were fortunate enough to be able to expand to Corby, Wellingborough, and East Northants.
Just a year later, we launched our training academy in January 2022, which has provided many opportunities to secondary school students who want to develop their radio and journalism skills, something we will continue to include in the years to come.
This 12-week scheme teaches you key communication skills, computer skills, interview/production skills, how to prep a show, and how to get the best out of your voice in front of the microphone. At the end of this training period, you are provided with the opportunity to present the academy show live on-air for a further 12 weeks.
Ellie has taken part in the academy scheme and now plays a role is running it for other aspiring journalists and radio hosts. She said: “When I initially joined Shire Sounds I was very quiet and nervous but the team was so welcoming and supportive, now I have a second family.
“Joining Shire Sounds has given me a newfound confidence. The opportunity to work with the academy has been incredible in seeing young people grow as presenters, learning new skills, and building friendships.
“During my time in the academy, I was able to feel safe and comfortable in asking questions and learning. Learning and working with new people gave me new team-building skills.”
Megan, another member of our incredible academy staff said: “I have worked with the Academy for 2 cohorts now. It has been incredible watching our students develop their radio skills and become amazing presenters.
“We are able to give our students the skills, knowledge, and experience within the world of radio for them to go on and become full team members with their own shows! This is exactly what the Academy was designed for, and I feel really lucky to be a part of it.”
Our team
Here at Shire Sounds the team is the core of what we do. Charlie said: “Over the years team members have joined and left, mostly to move onto pastures new.
“I am proud to be able to offer our team industry-standard equipment to work on, and a state-of-the-art studio space that can also be used as a socialising hub. Overall, I am really proud of the team and the community for where we are today.”
With our team being so important to us, we like to show them our appreciation by taking them out for fun nights out. Justine looked back at one of these team outings.
She said: “One of my highlights was when we went out as a team to go bowling. I got to meet the whole team properly and it was super laid back. I managed to score my first strike taking Sarah’s go and I was fuming. I’ll never live that down!”
Presenter, Sarah said: “I think my favourite thing about being a presenter at Shire Sounds is the live events. I mean, being in the studio is amazing and the music is amazing but that doesn’t come close to meeting members of the public and getting to know our local community. We are so proud to represent it!”
Our community
The community spirit at the station is definitely heightened during these events but also during our fantastic seasonal specials, such as the hosting of the Christmas Light Switch on in Kettering. Molly mentioned how she especially liked “seeing how festive everyone gets when interacting with the numerous shows we offer, listeners and presenters, but also the buzzing atmosphere of everyone involved”.
Everyone at the station, and hopefully those who listen and partake in events and shows, will join us wishing our beloved community station a very happy birthday and look forward to what the future has to offer here at Shire Sounds.
We couldn’t do what we do without the immense support from the community, listeners, local businesses, and of course our incredible team past and present. Thank you all for making the last 4 years the best possible years. We look forward to celebrating many more.
