Rotherham College to drive launch and host show with Rockingham Radio

Higher Education students from Media, Fashion, and Graphic Design are working in partnership with Rockingham Media to help launch new South Yorkshire community radio station, Rockingham Radio through web and brand design, marketing, social media promotion and event coordination.

Annabel Vernon, Director of Rockingham Media, has a wealth of radio industry experience including her role as radio presenter at Manchester-based community radio station, ALL FM.

After creating links with Rotherham College through Fashion Curriculum Lead, Liz Dillingham, Annabel is keen to develop this exciting new project, working closely with both students and staff at the College, with aims to give the South Yorkshire region a new voice.

Annabel said, “I’m extremely excited about the partnership with Rotherham College that is taking place, they are a critical success factor in delivering Rockingham Radio to the Community.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed with the quality of input and support from the HE (Higher Education) students and I’m glad that they are an integral part of the project team, both now and in the future.”

The project already has backing from Cllr Alan Buckley, the current Mayor of Rotherham, the Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO), and Great Places. Rotherham College Curriculum Team Leaders Liz Dillingham, Sara Pearman and Media Lecturer Stephen Boot have also been made Directors of the partnership to oversee the success of Rockingham Radio on behalf of the College.

The radio station will also be hosted within Rotherham College on-site studio, creating an opportunity by offering bespoke training and radio production skills to students studying Media. Sara Pearman, Curriculum Lead for Media and Photography said, “This exclusive partnership with Rockingham Radio is a wonderful opportunity for our Media and Photography students to be fully engaged in the birth of a new community radio station.

“They will be a key force in driving the project and will be immersed in all aspects of its development and this exclusive partnership will form a core aspect of curriculum delivery.’’

Rockingham Radio is set to officially launch around the new academic year in September, and Eleanor Beckett, Eva Darwin and Georgia Boden who will photographing the long-term project are second year Media students studying at University Centre Rotherham (UCR), and have being working closely with Rockingham Media to ensure the radio station is a success.

Eleanor said, “Working alongside Annabel in the creation of Rockingham Radio has been extremely rewarding, I can’t wait to see what the station will do in the future.”

Eva added, “Rockingham Radio is a fantastic opportunity to work as a team in the birth of a new online radio station around South Yorkshire.”