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NEW FUNDS BOOST BROADCASTER

Submitted by Editor on

Radio Stafford 103 – the Internet station based on Broughton Street – is to expand with a wider range of programmes and new opportunities for more volunteers.

The good news comes following an injection of nearly £13,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian Self Directed Support Innovation Fund ‘Using Social Media in Mental Health’.

Stafford Centre users began setting up the station four years ago in a bid to entertain, provide positive messages about mental health, and give advice and support. They celebrated their first year of broadcasting in October last year (Issue 224).

About ten volunteers currently run the technical side and make the programmes and present them, streaming five days a week, Monday–Friday from noon till 4pm. The bulk of Radio Stafford 103’s audience is Edinburgh-based, but there are also regular listeners around the world.

The new funding will go towards extra training for staff and users, and possibly extending the hours on air. New programme ideas are being explored, but there are already plans to promote other charities, especially those whose work has some relevance from a mental-health perspective. All ideas are welcome. 

The organisation behind the station and the Stafford Centre is Support in Mind, the operating name of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland).

It aims to improve the quality of life of people with a ‘severe and enduring mental health problem or mental illness’ and their carers. It does this through offering a range of activities, support and information.

To find out more about the Stafford Centre, Stafford Radio 103, and to download the radio app., visit the website here.