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Firstly, let us with you very happy New Year! I know it’s a little late but as the first newsletter of 2015 it seems only apt that we take the opportunity to welcome in the new year with the very best of wishes to all of our supporters.

And what a year the last twelve months have been! 2014 will now forever be the year that community radio was given the opportunity to re-establish itself in the Lancaster and Morecambe districts.

As we think back twelve months, it seems such a long time since we celebrated the festive period with the hope and nervousness of awaiting the outcome of our application to Ofcom for the re-issuing of a community license to the area. The twelve months that had proceeded had been filled with much hard work in the preparation of our application and as we looked ahead at 2014 it was difficult not to build our hopes that eventually, the decision would come. And come, it did. Albeit several months into the year!

Since the license award, the team has been busily preparing for our eventual launch to the FM waves; excitement and apprehension building in equal parts.

Although we are still waiting the final contractual terms, I am delighted to confirm that subject to final agreement, we have now found a superb studio location within Lancaster city center. I’m not able to confirm the exact location just yet, but once the ink has dried on the contract I assure you that we will provide much more detail. It’s a perfect location though that will enable the station to literally make it’s mark as a focal point in the community.

We have also now secured all of the studio equipment we will need. A crucially important step some might say!

We all appreciate that it may seem to be taking a long time to get the station to air – and you’re right. We face the challenge of launching Beyond Radio against a more significant set of hurdles to overcome than we perhaps collectively first imagined. But rest assured. We have the right team in place to make sure that when launch day finally arrives, we will do so with the knowledge of having a solid foundation to grow. Beyond Radio deserves the very best chance of success and the time taken in the lead to our eventual launch is allowing us to put everything in place to give the station the very best start.

Every day brings with it a serious amount of consideration as to how to best use our available resource to take us another step closer to launch day.

In the coming weeks and months, we will be actively accelerating our readiness; building a great team to help kick off in style, as well as securing the much needed funding and sponsorship to keep the station afloat.

We will be sending out updates much more regularly from now on. The end is in sight; although that of course, will be just the beginning!

We wish to say a huge thank you to everyone that has supported the station so far. And a huge thank you to everyone that has contributed to our fundraising events, the team 200 initiative and for all of the kind words of comments that have flowed in our direction. We really do appreciate everything.

But there remains so much more we need to do. If you feel you can help, or you wish to contribute someway to the preparation to launch please do consider joining Team 200. You can find out more about Team 200 and how to join at our website: Team 200

Whilst you there, why not register to volunteer at the station? We are looking for everything – from presenters, admin assistance, sales people – you name it, we have a need for it! Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and all in the cause of creating something so special for our local community. It’s truly one of the most rewarding experiences to be part of something great. We want you to be part of our success! Visit our registration page to register your details and one of the team will be in touch.

For now, thank you once again. 2015 is going to be a hugely exciting (if at times extremely challenging) year; but it will be the year that community radio really does make it’s comeback to Lancaster and Morecambe.

The Beyond Radio team.