Germ of an idea becoming a ‘Spark' as radio bid launched

A bid is under way to have a community radio station launched in Mullingar.

The vision is for a station that would have a focus on mental health awareness, while providing the sort of chat, interviews and entertainment not provided on existing stations.

For as little as €25,000 and with the help of volunteers, the project could get off the ground once a broadcast licence is granted, radio consultant Terry Martin told a public meeting held to enlist public support for the project.

Promoting the effort is a team from The Transformative College, a mental health movement in Mullingar, and Donal Coade, chairing the meeting, revealed that planning is already well under way for ‘Spark Radio’.

Alice McDonnell of the Transformative College explained that the college is about mental health, education and awareness, and it runs courses and projects to help people re-engage with the community.

“The whole idea of the radio station is to reach more people,” she said, saying that isolation is emerging as quite a problem, especially among older people.

Martin Rogan, CEO of Mental Health Ireland, said that the station would give a platform to people who might otherwise not have their voices heard.

Mr Martin, who was previously involved in Radio West, among other radio stations, said the proposal was “a fantastic idea”, and one with the potential to go nationwide, and through online streaming, to reach audiences beyond the 10km radius of Mullingar that its broadcasts would likely reach.

Even as a community station, however, it would require a licence, he explained.

The intention is to apply firstly for a temporary licence. That would allow pilot broadcasts over a certain number of days and the aim of the team would be to use those pilot broadcasts to earn the right to a longer-term licence.

“What we’re trying to do is provide a service that is engaging, that would attract people to listen to the radio station and to fill it with the right content,” he said.

“There are several services available for people with various medical conditions and we know that the infrastructure that is there already is immense, but what we’re trying to do with our radio station is co-ordinate all those services into one,” Mr Martin told the gathering of around 30, adding that people are currently not aware of all the services available to them because the services do not link up with each other, even though there are people in these organisations doing what he deemed “incredible work”.

The current plan is for a 24-hour station “that is inclusive and dedicated to people in crisis and recovery”, he said, and one that would promote a happier and healthier lifestyle for its listeners and that would promote awareness.

Of the 24 hours, eight would be live content, and the remainder pre-recorded material or podcasts.

Talks are under way about securing space at the former Gunners’ Mess at Columb Barracks for use as a studio, and there are organisations such as Westmeath Community Development, the HSE and Mental Health Ireland that could be approached for funding, Mr Martin said, going on to add that as a community radio station, it is not allowed sell advertising, although it is allowed get programme sponsors.

However, volunteers are needed for many roles, he said, including as presenters, researchers and on the social media front. Even outside the live-broadcasting period, it would be great to have volunteers on hand to answer the phone.

“We need your help,” he continued, stressing that this was a community project, and for all.

“What this is about is getting the community together,” he said.

Asked about the timeframe, Mr Martin said the team hopes to do it “quite quickly”.

He said the officials from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) would monitor the project and would listen to the pilot broadcasts as part of the process of considering whether to grant a full-time licence. It could, he estimated, take three months to get the radio up and running, and in the interim, there may be a further public meeting to carry people along with the project.

Second level school student, Josh Deegan, who is a student mental health advocate, spoke in support of the initiative, as did Dáil deputies Peter Burke and Robert Troy.