CICPRESS RELEASE
27 MARCH 2007
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is turning to the airwaves to celebrate recruiting its 5,000 th member. A special event was held in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, today, 27 March, with NCVO’s 5,000 th member, 10Radio CIC, to commemorate this milestone. The event is being recorded and will and soon be available on NCVO’s website and will be broadcast to 10Radio listeners in Wiveliscombe.
10Radio, a community radio station that has joined NCVO as a FREE Community Member, will be presented with a donation of £500 by Julian Miller, Managing Director of Class Telecommunications, to mark the event.
Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO said:
‘When I joined NCVO in 1994 we had nearly 500 members, so this marks a huge achievement.
‘Community Membership offers many small organisations, such as 10Radio, the opportunity to benefit from support and services without financial outlay and we hope that they, like so many of our members, will go from strength to strength.’
Pauline Homeshaw, 10 Radio Presenter and Chairman of Wiveliscombe Civic Society said:
‘Community radio is 10% radio and 90% community. The community involvement in 10Radio has been inspiring. Rural areas like Wiveliscombe have their own issues and problems and through 10Radio we believe we have given people a voice.’
Julian Miller, Managing Director of Class Telecommunications, said:
‘10 Radio is a shining and refreshing example of just what can be achieved by a hard working and committed group of people – if our donation helps to develop 10 Radio’s service to the community, as I’m sure it will, our money will certainly be well spent.’
NCVO was set up just after the First World War with a donation of £1,000. Its oldest member is the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who joined in 1969 when NCVO was the National Council of Social Services. Starting as an organisation for national organisations, since welcoming local voluntary organisations in 2002 NCVO now has a membership made up of 60% local organisations.
Voluntary organisations with an income of less than £10,000 can become Community Members for FREE. Membership gives them access to a wide range of benefits including regular information and support, networking opportunities, discounted publications and cost savings on IT equipment.
For more information please contact Siobhan Wakely in NCVO’s Media Office on 020 7520 2569 or Siobhan.wakely@ncvo-vol.org.uk.
Notes to Editors:
- 10Radio www.10radio.org CIC is a community radio station which broadcasts for 4 weeks a year to the parishes of Ashbrittle, Bathealton, Brompton Ralph, Chipstable, Clatworthy, Fitzhead, Huish Champflower, Milverton, Stawley and Wiveliscombe in Somerset.
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) www.ncvo-vol.org.uk is the umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, with sister councils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. NCVO has a growing membership of 5,000 voluntary organisations, ranging from large national bodies to community groups, volunteer bureaux, and development agencies working at a local level.
- Class Telecommunications (www.classtelecom.co.uk) is delighted to support NCVO’s membership recruitment. Class has worked in partnership with NCVO since 1998 and provides over 1000 voluntary and community organisations with significant savings, impressive levels of service and free advice. The range of services includes: Strategic Planning, Telephone Lines, Broadband, IP Telephony, Telephone Systems, Voice and Data.