Al Garthwaite 
Director

Al set up South Leeds Community Radio (LeedsElevenFM) with Catherine Mitchell as part of their social enterprise, Vera Media. Now the station’s gone independent, Al’s its part-time director. Before Vera Media, Al was in journalism, community education, arts promotion and television. She lives in Leeds 11, chairs Tiger11, is trustee of Feminist Archive North and (over)active in local community groups. 1n 2007 Leeds University gave her an honorary degree for her work with women, the Beeston community and Vera Media/South Leeds Community Radio.

Having grown up in the Leeds area, I have strong local connections.

My career in broadcasting started at BBC Radio Cleveland (now BBC Radio Tees) where I worked as an all-round reporter and producer for the station.

In the summer of 2000 I returned to my roots in Leeds to work for BBC Radio Leeds, joining ITV Yorkshire a year later as a Calendar journalist.

More recently I worked as project coordinator for community radio in Bradford, running a campaign to promote awareness of climate change across the diverse communities of that city.

Since I was very young I have had a passion for the Media. My first taste was work experience at Yorkshire Dales Radio (Fresh Radio) in Skipton. I immediately got the radio bug and started volunteering at my local Hospital radio station (Radio Airedale) in Keighley. Three years on I became station manager, keeping that post for seven years until August 2009.

I have volunteered at ELFM, Radio Jcom and have taught radio for Craven College, Skipton & Thomas Danby (Leeds City College). For the last 2 years I have volunteered at South Leeds Community Radio where I have trained new volunteers, edited programmes and taught ‘I can do radio’ for the ‘I love South Leeds’ festival.

My name is Maisie and I am Leeds born and bred. However, I am no South Leeds girl, I hail from a small town called Farsley in Outer West Leeds. I am a new volunteer at South Leeds Community Radio. I helped out with the preparation and organisation of Turn It Up in August, and more recently with the latest broadcast.  I am currently studying a BA in Media at Leeds Trinity University College and the skills and training I get volunteering will really help my degree along the way. I hope to one day produce my own radio show and hopefully meet some more great people.

Wayne Bavin
Volunteer

Hi I’m Wayne! I’ve worked for various radio stations back in the 90s (Kixx FM Teeside) (radio North Tees, Stockton) (KLFM Norfolk) (Wear FM Sunderland).

In 1999 I decided to quit all the radio stuff to get a proper job! I’m back on the radio, very passionate about SLCR and the area.

I love the diversity of South Leeds and the people. I live in Belle Isle and have done for the last 8 years. I would encourage people to get involved in community radio as I love it.

Hello all! My name is Phil and I'm a new volunteer at South Leeds Community Radio. Hailing from the Philippines and born in Reading, I have a proud Filipino heritage mixed with the best of British. I moved to Leeds to study and in 2008 I graduated from the Leeds College of Music with a BA in Popular Music. I’m an active musician getting some hands on experience to kick start a career in broadcasting. South Leeds Community Radio threw me in at the deep end and within a week I was ready to get out there and record my first round of interviews. South Leeds is such a diverse area and I feel the station is right at the heart of it.  

Greetings.  My name is Jeffrey - DJ Brations.  I am Rastafari by faith.  Peace and love.  I love playing music, mainly roots reggae, dub and educational vibes.  I was born in Barbados where calypso, steel pan and reggae rule the airwaves. Music has always been a part of me.  I am a vegetarian and I love music, cricket and walking.  Blessed love. 

This is me, “The Big MG”, Michael Gerwat. As far as I know, the only DeafBlind DJ in the world.
Sixties, seventies and some eighties, that’s my speciality. With two cochlear implants and no sight, but I still manage to put on a show.
Here I am at my decks. 

My name is Betty Kemp and I am an older volunteer.  Beeston is quite a busy place if you look around for ‘what’s on’.  I first got to know about the community radio station when I joined the What's Cooking in Beeston class, which involved reporting about what we did in the class on the radio. I attended short courses about programme ideas, interview techniques, programme planning and editing, which I found interesting (even if I don’t understand all the computer terms!) but I try my best and enjoy doing my reading, bits and bobs, and gardening on Green Fingers.  I highly recommend everyone to “have a go” at local radio.

I have been associated with the jazz scene in Yorkshire for the best part of 50 years.  I started out on clarinet and alto-sax but the bigger, baritone saxophone has been my main instrument since the mid sixties. I've played with most local jazz ensembles fitting in with a wide range of styles. My own style ranges from Dixieland to bebop, my major influences being Harry Carney, Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams.  I 'retired' in 2002 after 14 years with Leeds College of Music where I taught the baritone saxophone. I now work as a freelance musician, teacher and web developer. For the last couple of years I've been teaching clarinet, saxophone and flute at the South Leeds Music Centre.

I came to Leeds from Sierra Leone in West Africa. I used to work as a journalist for one of the main radio stations in Sierra Leone - Radio Democracy on 98.1 FM.
I enjoy working as a volunteer for South Leeds Community Radio and feel very fortunate to be able to use all the sophisticated equipment. It makes my work as a journalist much, much easier.

I am originally from East Yorkshire, but have settled in Leeds since I came here as a student in 2000. I do live music shows on South Leeds Community Radio. This lets me share my passion for popular music.
Since 2004 I have worked as a mobile DJ, playing out at parties and functions in West Yorkshire and have also been involved with local BBC radio.

Hi, I do the Funky Soul Session here on South Leeds Community Radio and I help with some of the other programmes as well. I've always enjoyed the soul and funk genres, but they aren't the only types of music I like listening to. I became interested in working in the media by getting involved in amateur radio. I would really recommend anyone to pick up a microphone and produce your own work - it’s highly enjoyable.
I'm now hoping to specialise in sound production - more skills to bring to South Leeds Community Radio.

I’m 22 years old and I’m from Leeds, but my parents are originally born in the Caribbean. I have two sisters Sharon, 28 and Charlene, 25. My achievements in life are with a steel band called the North Stars Steel Orchestra. I play Tenor, and I have been in the band for 10 years now. We have played for the Queen at Buckingham Palace, we came first place in Panorama at Nottting Hill,  London in 2002, played for Labour’s 100th Birthday Party and appeared on Blue Peter. Since High School, my aim was to be a radio presenter and an actress. I’ve studied Media at Leeds College of Technology and I'm at University Of Huddersfield studying Drama and Media. Being a presenter for South Leeds Community Radio is great for communicating with the listeners, and I enjoy the freedom I get to control my own show.

I once described myself as a “self confirmed wrinkly” and still stand by that statement.  The body might be running down a bit but the heart is still young.  I came into contact with the community radio station through Burton Road College, when I came to read a piece I had just written and I got the bug.  So why Country and Western music?  I wanted to share my love of this music with others.  I try to cater for all tastes, from line dancers to pure country, and give a little history of the music. I hope you enjoy listening to ‘Country Fayre’ as much as I enjoy presenting it.  Happy listening, and if you want a particular track please get in touch and I will play it for you.

I worked for 20 years in the restaurant and pub business before giving it all up on my 50th birthday to go off and climb mountains and raise money for charity. The goal is to raise £25000 for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre in Leeds and, since the weather prevented me from getting to the top of Mont Blanc last year, I'm going back again in summer 2008.
I have a real passion for people and finding out just what makes them tick. I love it when people relax and start talking as they would to just another person without worrying about the radio microphone – the bursts of humour that can come through are wonderful.
There’s nothing better than the sound of laughter to make radio come alive.

I come from Ghana in West Africa. I am a good mixer; Some people refer to me as "a charmer" because of my affable disposition. I am an avid reader. My hobbies are walking, sightseeing, listening to music and writing. I also indulge in meditation and creative visualisation on a daily basis. I dislike injustice, poverty and social exclusion. I volunteer for the British Heart Foundation as well as South Leeds Community Radio. My humble message to all and sundry is “Let’s preserve the earth, because the future generation can only survive in a well-maintained ecosystem”. Cheers!!!

I was born in Co Cork in southern Ireland many many years ago and came to live in Yorkshire in the 1970’s.  I work for Leeds Irish Health and Homes which is a voluntary organization working with the Irish community throughout the city.
I like to play music that is local or in some way personal to myself or the studio guest. The music might be traditional folk, local composers doing their ‘own thing’ and all variations in between. Usually there is some connection with the Irish community. If you listen carefully I’ll occasionally throw in a bit of poetry!

I’m Donna and I live in Holbeck.  I first got involved with the radio station when Judith contacted me whilst on a writing course.  I was hoping this would get some of my poetry published.  From there, I wrote a piece for the “I Can Write” programme and enrolled on the Introduction to Radio course. If it wasn’t for everyone at the radio station I wouldn’t be a volunteer and hoping to get on a Level 2 radio course.

My name is Difference Dube. I was born on the 19th of December 1974 in Plumtree in the area of Jutshume in Zimbabwe. My father was Japi Dube and my mother was Evelyne Gine Ndlovu. After moving from Africa l now live in the Cardinals. I'm a man who loves his family and I am very proud of them. I joined the community radio station because of my love of music. It has been a dream come true playing African tunes live on air. I became involved in broadcasting back home where I worked for a radio station called Roots FM. It is great to carry on where l left off because my dream is to own my radio station back home.

Kat Nicholson
Volunteer

My name is Kat Nicholson; I’ve been in Leeds just over a year now and love it. I hale from Lincoln originally. I’ve been working in Radio on and off since early 2000 and have had the opportunity to work for BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio 1 as well as many local and non-profit stations.  I now teach media studies as my day job with radio as my specialism.  When it comes to music I’m still stuck in the 90’s! I love a bit of Britpop! Other than that I’m into The Killers, Razorlight, The Golden Silvers, Vampire Weekend, MGMT and many more. I love working for community stations, they’re always packed with people who are passionate about music and dedicated to their community. 

Paddy Hannan
Volunteer

Hi, I’m Paddy Hannan and I’ve been presenting the ‘Grooves from the Grove’ programme of folk music.

After a mis-spent youth in rock bands during the Sixties and a mysterious missing decade in the Seventies, I got into folk music when I finally resurfaced, and I’ve been running clubs and singing in them ever since. As with most computer programmers, I’ve also tried my hand (and foot) at Morris dancing, and was a founder member of the Hong Kong Morris.

I hope to have a mis-spent future.

I started my working life many years ago, at Cross Flatts Park Primary School. After travelling the world and changing career, from teaching  to television and radio I've come full circle back to Beeston and South Leeds Community Radio. People from all over the world live in South Leeds and I get a buzz from making sure that South Leeds Community Radio reflects that diversity. Giving people a chance to make their own programmes, to have their say and
be involved in running the radio station, that's what we're all about.

South Leeds Community Radio needs you!
Come and be part of the station