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A Hundred Chances To Win A Lowden-Sheeran Guitar
A Hundred Chances To Win A Lowden-Sheeran Guitar
January 9, 2025
Pick a £10 draw number for a Lowden-Sheeran guitar in a Down Community Radio FM105 fundraiser to help get the radio station back on the air.
Down Community Radio FM105 has received a tremendous donation of a Lowden-Sheeran Edition guitar from local guitar maker and businessman George Lowden of internationally acclaimed Lowden Guitars and it will be raffled in a 100 number draw as soon as the numbers are all sold.
Radio chairman Gareth McDowell said: “If you would like to be in on the draw and get a chance to win this quality, 6-string acoustic guitar, you can pick a number from 1 to 100 at the Facebook page Down Community Radio and donate on the Paypal Page for Cyril McKinney (Treasurer)at:
Tickets are £10 for each number, but you will have to check the Facebook page to see what numbers are still available. When the payment is made on Paypal, your number and name will be entered on the draw. The funds raised are to restart the community radio, which is on track for 2025. So get your ticket bought as they are now selling fast following the launch on the 1st January 2025.
This guitar is a perfect instrument for a budding young musician keen to learn to play the guitar, or even for a very keen amateur or professional musician. The guitar has been made to a high standard which is the hallmark of local guitar maker George Lowden, whose work and expertise in guitar making is internationally acclaimed."
Musicians and singers like Ed Sheeran, Paul Brady, the legendary Eric Clapton,
and others have performed on Lowden guitars guitars.
George has kindly donated a Lowden-Sheeran guitar and a happy winner will soon strumming away, as soon as the all the 100 tickets are sold.
“Good luck to the entrants and wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Down Community Radio FM105″.
George Lowden, centre, of Lowden Guitars presents a 6-string acoustic guitar to Down Community Radio FM105 for a fund-raising draw. Included are Gareth McDowell, Down Community Radio chairman and DJ presenter Conal Duffy.
Down Community Radio Gets Hays Travel Backing
Down Community Radio Gets Hays Travel Backing
November 29, 2024
Volunteers are working hard to get the Down Community Radio FM105 back up and running
Community Radio FM105 is pressing forward with fundraising to get the radio back up and running and is delighted to receive a substantial prize voucher from Hay’s Travel to boost the campaign.
Many local listeners and people from other far-flung areas were disappointed when SERC decided to cut its ties with the radio station last summer.
However, a group of loyal supporters, DJs and programme facilitators have come together to breathe new life into the radio station, which has been closed since July.
The Board of Down FM105 are still the holder of the Ofcom licence and is presently sorting out the various legalities around licences, etc.
The fundraising target was to raise around £6000 to get the station initially streaming its programmes once more.
Gareth McDowell, Chair of Down Community Radio FM 105, said: “On behalf of all our board members and supporters, I’d like to give a massive thank you to all the sponsors who have contributed with their travel voucher for our big draw to try and get us back up and running.
“We are not live yet though. An engineer has to fix up the radio mast in the St Patrick Centre and test the radio signal. Once that is done in December, we are on our way.
“We hope to be live probably just after Christmas or early new year once we get the programmes properly planned out. The station will run 24/7.
“With the funds raised so far we have bought some essential equipment such as a computer and it all looks good.
“I’d like to give a special thanks to Hays Travel who have made a substantial contribution to our development fund along with other supporters such as ALPS.
“I’d like to give a special thanks to Hays Travel who have made a substantial contribution to our development fund along with other supporters such as ALPS.
“We still have some tickets left for our mammoth draw with lots of prizes taking place on the 21st December so please buy one and help us get up and running, and please donate to our street collection in Downpatrick later in December.
James Burke, Manager of Hays Travel in Downpatrick, said: “We are delighted to help Down Community Radio get back on track again.
‘We used to listen to them on a regular basis and I know local listeners do miss the music and craic on the airwaves.
“So we are looking forward to the radio station getting back on air again and streaming their music. We are glad to support them as they will bring a lot of cheer to a lot of people once again.
“So we are looking forward to the radio station getting back on air again and streaming their music. We are glad to support them as they will bring a lot of cheer to a lot of people once again.
“Our community budget is now fully committed now for our next financial year, but we will support our local community when and where we can.”
Cyril McKinney, Treasurer of Down FM 105 said: “We are on target and still have a number of technical issues to sort out but it’s all a big learning curve for most of us.
“Our supporters have been selling tickets and have done well so once we’ve sold the remaining tickets it will be all systems go.
“We are well on our way and looking forward to streaming initially, then we can run live shows going forward. It’s been a busy and tricky couple of months but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.
“We are well on our way and looking forward to streaming initially, then we can run live shows going forward. It’s been a busy and tricky couple of months but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.
“We will be located in the old BBC studio in the St Patrick Centre and we are very grateful to Dr Tim Campbell and the Board for agreeing to accommodate us up there.
“So we are delighted at the backing from Hays Travel. It will go a long way in getting us on track.Some lucky person will enjoy winning this voucher in our big draw.”
(l-r): Annie Manley, Hay’ Travel adviser; Cyril McKinney, Down Community Radio FM105, Hays Travel manager James Burke and travel adviser apprentice Craig Kelly. Hays Travel has supported Down Community Radio FM105 in its bid to get back on air again.
The Times Are A Changin’ For Down Community Radio
The Times Are A Changin’ For Down Community Radio
October 2, 2024
Down Radio Station Chair Explains The Ups And Down Of The Radio Station
Many listeners to Down Community Radio FM105 (DCR) will be wondering where the radio station has disappeared to, and why.
Unfortunately the station had to close due to a reshuffle within SERC who hosted the three radio stations in Downpatrick, Lisburn and Bangor.
Gareth McDowell, Chairman of the Board of DCR, said: “I have been involved with the radio for many years along with a few other presenters.
‘We put out our shows on Down FM 105 on a weekly basis. These shows were based at SERC, and the old East Down Institute before that in the late 1990s. We have built up a solid body of listeners.”
‘We put out our shows on Down FM 105 on a weekly basis. These shows were based at SERC, and the old East Down Institute before that in the late 1990s. We have built up a solid body of listeners.”
He said that the general idea was that the radio stations would act as training venues for students in the media arts. The radio provided a useful education function along with its more obvious role in entertainments and music.
“But it seems that SERC management were not happy with the current situation on sustainability and from last November plans were increasingly put in place for SERC to withdraw from the local radio stations,” added Gareth.
“And I must say that I, along with the other board members, was in the dark with much of this. Then in the summer months, we received word of the closure.
“After seeking representation with SERC management, we finally got the go ahead to pick up the pieces and continue DCR FM105. So the Board continued and decided to consult with its base.
“We then held a meeting at the end of July in the ALPS community hub just off the Market Street car park and presenters and interested volunteers were invited to attend.
“It was agreed that we continue to reset Down Community Radio and get on air as soo as possible, but it was acknowledged there were a number of key issues to address in the short-term.
“The first issue was that there was only a very small amount of money in the bank account and funds would need to be raised.
“Secondly, we were kindly offered the former BBC studio at St Patrick’s Centre as a base which is fantastic, but we have to activate the transmitter there which sends the signal to the main mast at the Downshire Estate to cover the wider Downpatrick area. This is a technical challenge.
“Secondly, we were kindly offered the former BBC studio at St Patrick’s Centre as a base which is fantastic, but we have to activate the transmitter there which sends the signal to the main mast at the Downshire Estate to cover the wider Downpatrick area. This is a technical challenge.
“Currently, we are just about to run a test to see if this signal is working – or not – and trying to identify how to move forward on this technical issue.
“So, we may be off the air for a few weeks more yet, but keep your eye on our social media and in the local media for updates.
Gareth explained: “We do have a new website set up and we are looking to stream on the back of this for the short-term. That will hopefully get us up and running.
Gareth explained: “We do have a new website set up and we are looking to stream on the back of this for the short-term. That will hopefully get us up and running.
“Our aim is to get the whole system working by Christmas time. But it is a question of one step at a time.
“In the meantime the Board are aware that the presenters are keen to get going again with their shows, and that our many listeners look forward again to hearing the voices of the DJs and programme hosts.
“It is all very technical - we are doing our best and we remain hopeful.”
Cyril McKinney, well known local DJ and C&W fan, and Board Member, said: “Each of the DJs has their own fan base and we do have quite a reach when you add up all the traffic we generate.
“I’m constantly being asked when we are going to get on the air again.
“Personally, I can’t wait to get the country music show going again.”
“Personally, I can’t wait to get the country music show going again.”
Cyril echoes the feelings of the other programme presenters and senses the loss that the listeners are feeling at the moment.
Gareth McDowell continued: “The Board are aware of the impending financial needs to get DCR up and running and are putting together a fund-raising strategy. We hope that our supporters and local businesses etc back us in our hour of need.
“But we will have to apply for funding through the usual channels for the medium to longer-term. We are also putting a business plan together to further understand our position.
“We will release more news about our fundraising plans in a couple of weeks.
“We would like this community radio to be a success story for Downpatrick. We are faced with significant cost and technical issues, but we are going to do what we can. We are hopeful.
“It will be all hands to the pump and all help will be appreciated.
So stay tuned in to our up-dates and we will do our utmost to get DCR up and running again on the air.
We basically have to get back to the drawing board but we are determined to get going once again.”
Down Community Radio presenters Gareth McDowell, Chair, with programme presenters and DJs Graham McClements, Philip Annett, Conal Duffy, Philip Reilly, Cyril McKinney and Peter Smyth. Work is in progress to get DCR FM105 on air again.
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