VOLUNTEERS and listeners from a community radio station had the wind in their sails as they celebrated the first anniversary of the station being broadcast on FM airwaves.

On a blustery afternoon, hundreds of people camped down at Lodmoor Country Park as they feasted on picnics and live musical performances at the free event to celebrate the anniversary of AIR 107.2 FM.

The musical line up included Lauren Bannon, 68:11, The Juke Box Junkies, Jess Upton, Steve Wilson and Robbie Macintosh, The Leggomen and the farewell performance of Danny and the Goosemen.

The station, based at Westfield Arts College, hosted the event to celebrate its one-year anniversary of being broadcast on FM.

Carl Greenham, station manager, said: “It was an incredible turn out of people.

“We wanted to throw a free party and invited the local community to say thank you for the support we have had over the past year.

“When we launched the station on to FM we never anticipated we would be this successful – we have really done ourselves proud.

“There are 35 volunteers who work on the station and the amount of work and dedication that goes in behind the scenes is incredible and I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the station, to everyone who attended the party and of course our listeners for making the station as successful as it is.

“When you do a radio show you never know how many people are listening so when you put something on like this to see everyone here feels really good.

“There is no music festival in Weymouth like this that caters for all the family, there was such a good vibe about the place.”

It wasn’t just the music keeping people entertained, with a selection of arts and crafts stalls, balloon making and a number of demonstrations as part of Bugfest’s “Live and Deadly” show.

Mr Greenham, who also presents the breakfast show on the station between 7.30am and 9am, confirmed that the managers at the station were hoping to make the party an annual event.

He added: “We want to host a regular festival like this and we are looking to make it an annual event.”