About the community

This is a rural community, which has one of the highest proportions of retired people in the country. Many live at home but others live in sheltered housing or in care homes.  They often lack local media to keep them informed and with gaps in mobile and broadband coverage both carers and those being cared for often feel a sense of isolation.


The Community Voices project

With the help of New Forest Community Media, the community planned to relieve the sense of isolation by working together to produce their own radio show which would provide help and regular information for the caring community in the New Forest.  It would be made by carers for carers and those in care.

What the community did
With many people not realising they are carers, and others often missing out on vital information, New Forest Community Media teamed up with the caring community to plan regular online radio programmes dedicated to meeting their needs.  They trained a number of presenters in radio skills and produced a pilot programme called Carer’s Voice. It discussed carers’ rights, local opportunities and support services, and even quick and easy recipes for time-strapped carers.  As well as engaging their local caring community in radio production, they planned social activities that would bring carers and the cared for together.

How it changed the community
The community changed in a number of ways:

• Reaching out and sharing common issues brought the community closer together.
• Their involvement in the production of the radio show gave them a sense of achievement in creating a new resource for themselves.
• As the show was tailored to their concerns it helped relieve the sense of isolation.
• For a community that sometimes feels it’s the ‘lowest of the low’, it gave them a focus and an identity, and a sense of reversing this position.
• Organising activities strengthened the community
• Next steps – New Forest Community Media is about to launch an FM radio station, and the plan is to broadcast Carers’ Voice weekly live on air, so they can take phone ins and do live discussions.

Who's Involved?
New Forest Community Media is a community media organisation in Lymington, Hampshire that runs local radio station, The Park. Find out more.