Bournemouth-based community radio station Hope FM has been delivering its vital local broadcasting across the conurbation through the coronavirus crisis.

The station has continued a range of community interviews connecting people and giving a platform for organisations to share vital information on their services during the emergency.

It also broadcasts regularly the emergency help number set up by BCP Council in support of the most vulnerable and has produced and broadcast special programming such as Thanks for the Memory, In Memoriam and The Sunday Service.

The station, which has a Christian ethos, first began operating in 1993 as a YMCA project and in 2005 was awarded a community radio licence by Ofcom and has been broadcasting 24/7 since 2007.

Station manager and founder, Blair Crawford said: “We always aim to be a voice for the community in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch providing a positive and uplifting message through music, speech, entertainment, information and education.

“And of course is now more important than ever.”

He added: “Hope FM also recruits and train volunteers to run the day to day operations of the station and to offer work experience to school and university students."

The station moved into new premises in January this year, thanks to Ace Office Environments who have provided the space for the studios and office at Yeoman’s Way.

It is primarily run by a team of 40 volunteers.

As a result of the current lockdown only two people now operate the station output from the control centre, and three other experienced presenters broadcast from the safety of their own homes.

Hope FM produce and present five hours of live broadcasting a day, a three-hour breakfast show airing 7am to 10am and a two hour stay at home programme airing from 4pm to 6pm.

All interviews are conducted over the phone and if you would like your community work to be featured on the station you are invited to drop them a line at blairc@hopefm.

You can tune in on 90.1 FM or listen online via the Hope FM website at www.hopefm.com

https://tunein.com/radio/Hope-FM-901-s80435/