On The Radio: Always on air promoting life locally

​This was recognised at Leicestershire and Rutland Rural Community Council's centenary awards this month, when 103 The Eye was among 22 finalists out of an entry of 200 nominations and finished runner-up in the Community Cohesion section.

We're currently helping Melton Mowbray Town Estate chief executive Dean Rees to promote the exciting programme of events the charity is holding in the coming weeks. Dean was a studio guest on our Community Focus programme this Sunday.

Their next ones are the Fireworks Concert on November 1 - which by coincidence will be our 19th birthday - and the new Melton Borough Market on the third Friday of each month to encourage more footfall in the town and to support local producers.

We stage Pop Up Studios with live outside broadcasts at events such as the East Midlands Food Festival and Melton Lions Club's It's A Knockout. Our new DAB+ relay covers the northern part of the Vale, including Rushcliffe, greatly increasing our audience and widening the opportunity to showcase the town to prospective visitors.

In the run-up to the festive season, we will again be working with Melton BID, particularly highlighting the Christmas Weekend at the beginning of December, and we have already booked our place at the Christmas Tree Festival in St Mary's Church. Our radio station has taken part every year since the festival began.

Leicestershire and Rutland Young Farmers have invited us to join them for their Drive-In Living Nativity at Melton Cattle Market in December. We will broadcast this spectacular event live for the fifth consecutive year. First staged in 2020, it was one of very few events able to take place within COVID restrictions as it was outdoors, and it proved so popular it has been held annually ever since..

Involving local schools to give young people a voice is yet another way in which 103 The Eye supports the local community. We have aired features made by students at Melton's Longfield Academy and Ratcliffe College, among others.

This summer we welcomed media students from MV16 who did work experience with us and we are now renewing our links with Cotgrave Candleby Lane School who - pre-pandemic - produced a one-hour show for us each week. Other schools have expressed an interest in recording items for broadcast and we are pleased to discuss the opportunties with them.

Although 103 The Eye is run entirely by volunteers it costs a lot of money to be on the air, including broadcast licences (we have four), music royalties, insurance, utilities, equipment and other essentials.

Therefore we're very grateful for support from the local community. Last month Richard Angrave and Family kindly organised a quiz at Melton Baptist Church raising £575 towards maintenance of our FM transmission tower. Earlier this year the Melton Trumpton Fire Engine Committee gave us £250 to help with our electricity costs.

We are pleased to receive invitations from people who would like us to attend their events and provide news coverage, and we also visit local organisations such as WI's and Rotary Clubs to give talks about 103 The Eye and how the station works.