A festive evening of Christmas music is to be staged at the historic Newton Manor Hall in Swanage, Dorset, to raise vital income for community radio station Purbeck Sounds.
The Christmas concert, on Thursday 18th December, 2025, will help the local community radio station to fund ambitious plans for 2026 and beyond.
Cathy Phippard is the new station director of Purbeck Sounds
Working hard to boost local content
New station director Cathy Phippard is currently on a mission to greatly increase the local talk content for shows on Purbeck Sounds – with the ultimate aim to provide Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), as well as listening online.
DAB radio offers high quality sound and gives access to a larger audience than Purbeck Sounds’ current internet broadcasting – but it is more expensive and could cost upwards of £30,000 a year to run.
At the moment, Purbeck Sounds is a volunteer-run station which currently operates without grants and relies heavily on donations from friends, supporters and sponsors.
But despite running the station on a shoestring, the team has been working hard to boost local content and community engagement over recent months, welcoming a new wave of presenters and refreshed programming.
Fiona Sturrock and local author Nick Jubber on an outreach event at The Swanage School
“We feel we are on a roll!”
Cathy Phippard said:
“We are trying to do a lot more talk and involve the community more on all our shows – I wondered why people would listen to us above any other station for music when it is so easy for them to download or stream all of their own favourites.
“So we are still playing some music because that is what people who present radio want to do, but we are going out of our way to include a lot more talk content.
“We have been very busy since summer and have seen the number of our listeners double over the last month, so we feel we are on a roll!
“Our marketing strategy is to go out and talk to local groups and get involved in what they are doing, so one of our most recent events was to cover Swanage Literary Festival.
“Fiona Sturrock, one of our presenters, talked to some of the authors there and to Jo Tatchell about her role as one of the judges of the children’s poetry, about the high calibre of writing and the inspiring impact of the children’s work.”
Purbeck Sounds has its studios in The Hub, opposite Chococo in the Heart of Swanage
“Ultimate aim would be to get on DAB”
Cathy added:
“We are getting more coverage in our new role of being very, very community focused, but it’s getting people to know we are out there and not that difficult to find – you just have to ask your Alexa to enable Purbeck Sounds and you’ll hear us.
“Our ultimate aim would be to get onto DAB, digital radio, to increase our reach and make us more attractive to sponsors and advertisers, but that is a bit further down the line.
“We are looking all the time for new volunteers and we have an idea to develop the Friends of Purbeck Sound – we are completely volunteer run and we don’t have any grants at the moment, so we run on the money we raise.
“We don’t need a huge amount of money, but it is important to bring funds in to keep us going as our own donations are not quite enough, which is where the concert at Newton Manor Hall comes in.”
Karen Grant will be one of the stars of the Christmas fund raising concert
Music, drinks and festive cheer
The event, hosted by Alan May, begins at 7 pm and promises an uplifting mix of local talent including Karen Grant, Velcro Pom Pom, Aaron Hughes and Simon Wells, with Peter McCarthy on the bagpipes.
Billed as an evening of music, drinks and festive cheer, tickets are £10 and need to be bought in advance of the event.
Two of the concert stars, Karen Grant and Chris Edward, host shows on Purbeck Sounds and are among around 20 regular presenters now on the station.
There are lively breakfast shows every weekday morning between 8 am and 10 am, hosted by Paul Thompson, Annabel Cook and Hannah Casey, landlady of The Globe, which include a mixture of local news, information and travel.
Newton Manor Hall on the High Street, is part of one of Swanage’s most historic homes, dating back to the 17th Century
Words to Inspire
A mid morning slot called Community Connection, with Thelma Deacon, Maggie O’Neill and Karen Grant and Steve Zodiac, features music and interviews with local personalities ranging from Mowlem executive director Kate McGregor, best selling children’s author Rachel Bright and South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton.
An afternoon personal interest and culture slot includes Chris Brady’s programme Bookmarks, Burngate manager David Wise’s walking show, Purbeck Wanders and Cathy Phippard’s own local history show.
Elsewhere in the schedule, travel show Notes From Abroad focuses on a different country each week from Japan and Greece to Antarctica.
There’s also a poetry show on Fridays called Words To Inspire where people are encouraged to write a poem live on air – and everyone’s favourite David Hollister hosting the drivetime show on weekday afternoons.
Velcro Pom Pomm, performing here at Baboo Gelato, are to take part in the Christmas concert
“There’s a lot of energy”
Cathy Phippard said:
“There’s a lot of energy coming from that little studio next to Chococo – for a community radio station, I think the quality is really good.
“We are working really, really hard, but the main thing for us is to get ourselves out there, which is difficult especially as we are only on the internet.
“We are really looking to develop community partnerships, aiming to buddy up with organisations like the WI, Citizens’ Advice or emergency services to do a show together in the afternoon.”
Chris Edward, a musician who believes philosophy can help lift people’s spirits, has joined the presenters’ roster on Purbeck Sounds
“It’s very addictive and exciting!”
Cathy added:
“We have a youth branch, the Young Stars and we are trying to make a proper alliance with Swanage School and Purbeck School, to include those who are interested in media.
“Radio is such a good medium for young people to build confidence, because you have to articulate yourself to the general public, while not having to stand up in front of them.
“It‘s a creative process – and it’s fun! There’s something special about radio that is a real delight to be a part of it, it’s very addictive and exciting!”
Further information
- Listen online to Purbeck Sounds plus other ways to tune in
- Get tickets for the Christmas concert by calling or texting 07827 892893
