Former Coventry College student aims to bring a smile to people’s faces with new radio show

A former @CoventryCollege student has achieved his boyhood dream after becoming the host of a new @BBC radio show.

Dan Sambell, from Rugby, first wanted to go on the airwaves when he would listen to local stations aged five with his father.

The 25-year-old remembers regularly ringing in to Rugby FM as a young boy to get a chance to go on air.

“From that minute I was hooked, I loved it,” he said.

“I used to ring in all the time, probably annoying the radio presenters!”

After leaving school Dan, now aged 25, joined Coventry College where he studied a two-year level three extended diploma in creative media production.

Part of the course provided Dan with the opportunity to have his own show on the college radio station, Synergy FM, where he would prepare feature content and produce programmes.

“We learned all sorts of things across the whole radio industry, from script writing to editing and audio production,” Dan said.

“It was the perfect course to give me the experience I needed.

“If it was not for the college, I would not even have applied to the BBC because my tutor at the time gave me the confidence to do it.”

After taking on a four-week work experience placement, Dan was offered freelance work before landing a permanent position – and now he has his own show which started in April.

He also scripts, produces and edits Coventry College’s radio adverts.

“Local radio is where my heart lies,” Dan said.

“I am literally living the dream. If it was not for the course at Coventry College I would not be where I am today.”

The new show, Make A Difference, is aiming to bring a smile to people’s faces by telling the stories of local heroes across Coventry and Warwickshire.

It tells the stories of people across the community who have stepped up to help out during the coronavirus pandemic, airing every Saturday from 6pm to 8pm on BBC CWR.

Stories featured so far have included a Coventry woman who completed 1,000 steps after recovering from a stroke, the Warwickshire 4×4 volunteers who transported hospital staff to hospitals in heavy snow, a woman in Attleborough who made and sold knitted hearts to raise money for a defibrillator for the village, and a boy who baked and sold flapjacks outside his house to raise money so that he could buy his mother a birthday present.

Dan said: “It’s a chance to shout about local heroes across Coventry and Warwickshire and how they are making a difference through the pandemic and beyond.

“It’s celebrating the stories of local heroes and also has good music to get you started for your Saturday night.

“It’s a feel-good, upbeat show. We want to make people smile as we come out of the pandemic.”