07/11/2025
💙 A Final Plea for Help from Our Managing Director 💙
Since my last statement, a lot has happened behind the scenes here at Crags Radio. We’ve been signposted towards various grants and funding opportunities, and while we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who’s tried to help, the reality is that most of these have either resulted in us falling just short, being unsuccessful, or are still pending decisions that are taking a long time to come through — far too long for the immediate help we urgently need.
The truth is, we can’t keep waiting and hoping. We need our listeners’ help more than ever right now.
We have until December 1st to raise as much money as possible — otherwise, we will have no choice but to begin the incredibly difficult process of closing Crags Radio down permanently.
It’s a sentence I never imagined having to write. For the past five years, our small volunteer-run, non-profit station has poured everything into serving this community — from live local radio shows, to events, fundraisers, and creating a space where people feel they belong. We’ve achieved so much together — and it breaks my heart that we are now fighting for survival.
What hurts most is that we have so many exciting plans waiting to be brought to life for 2026 and beyond — plans that would make Crags Radio stronger, more local, and more community-focused than ever before.
Next year marks the start of our 6th year of broadcasting, which we planned to celebrate in style with the launch of our brand-new Crags Retro station — dedicated to the best throwback hits and feel-good classics, with a line-up of brand new presenters, fresh voices, and more professional, localised content across both stations.
We’ve also been developing our Crags Academy — a youth programme for 12–18-year-olds designed to teach the next generation how to produce and present their own radio shows, while building confidence, communication, and IT skills in a supportive, creative environment.
At Craggy’s Community Café, we’ve been planning even more ways to bring people together — new clubs, creative workshops, meetups, and events that give everyone in our area a place to belong.
And of course, we had big ambitions to continue our much-loved Community Stars Awards and Unsigned Music Awards — two events that celebrate the heart of our community by recognising local heroes, volunteers, and unsigned artists who deserve to shine.
We wanted to bring more live broadcasts from local events and festivals, showcase local stories, grow our network of volunteers, and create new opportunities for people of all ages to get involved with radio and community life.
Everything was mapped out. The ideas, the passion, the drive — it’s all here. But none of it can happen without your support.
So this is our final plea.
If Crags Radio has ever made you smile, kept you company, promoted your event or business, or been part of your daily life — please, help us keep going.
You can donate directly and make a difference right now by heading to 👉 www.cragsradio.co.uk/donate
or by pressing the Donate button on the Crags Radio app.
Every pound genuinely helps us fight to stay on air — to keep local voices heard, local stories shared, and local music celebrated.
This next few weeks will decide whether we have a future. Let’s make sure Crags Radio is still here in 2026 — stronger, louder, and more local than ever.
❤️
John J Steemson
Managing Director – Crags Radio
