Salford City Radio has smashed its £10,000 crowd-funding target thanks to anonymous donations.
Funding cuts from the council might have forced the community station to halt broadcasting, but the appeal for money has ensured its future is safe for at least another year.
The station is celebrating its 10th anniversary after it was opened next to Salford Civic Hall in September 2007.
Studio manager Chris Bell is encouraging Mancunians to donate to the appeal, that continues until April 3, which will fund some much-needed studio improvements.
Chris, who has worked with the BBC as a direct result of his time with the community station, said: “We have served the community for ten years now.
“We are not asking for it to go the other way, but we need help to continue to do what we do best, which is just being here for the community.”
The people of Salford responded so well to the campaign that Salford City Radio hit their original target with time to spare, so the decision was made to double it to £20,000.
“We wanted to ensure that we were still on air, so we can serve the community, but on top of that we need to serve the volunteers as well.
“With that extra money, we can now look to improve some of the equipment, which is nearly ten years old – some of it is still working!”
Chris is one of 83 volunteers that work at the station and has welcomed a number of stars into the studio including David Cameron before his Prime Ministership and Liam Gallagher.
The station has already applied for a new FM licence with the money raised, which secures the stations future, but they are still keen to crowdfund more.
Kris Lysaght, another of the six studio managers at the station, said: “We are a community station. We are not like the big broadcasters who are out there, just doing it for the output.
“That is of course important but what is more important for us is that it represents the community as it is. We do really well at that.”
Salford City Radio broadcasts to around 40,000 listeners a week and won the ‘Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service’ 2016 for the volunteer’s round the clock efforts since the start.
Councillor Jim King, who is Chair of Salford City Radio, said: “In launching this funding campaign we intend that the ‘Voice of Salford’ continues on air serving the many and diverse communities of your city.
“Now only with YOUR help can we continue broadcasting. Please support your home station.”
If you want to pledge your support to Salford City Radio donate here: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/salfordcityradio
