VolunteerPassport

Welcome to WFM,the communityradio station forWythenshawe madeby you. If you live,work or play inWythenshawe, it’syour station andwe want you toget involved!

This is your pocket-sized guide tobroadcasting onWFM – please keep it to hand!

Welcome to WFM,the communityradio station forWythenshawe madeby you. If you live,work or play inWythenshawe, it’syour station andwe want you toget involved!

This is your pocket-sized guide tobroadcasting onWFM – please keep it to hand!

3 Our Mission4 What WFM Offers

Volunteers5 What WFM Expects of You6 Your Training8 Volunteer Opportunities9 Professional Qualifications10 Travel, Lunch & Childcare

Expenses11 On Air Code of Conduct12 Volunteer Contract and

Disciplinary Procedure13 Complaint Procedure14 Child Protection15 Health & Safety: Fire,

First Aid, Illness16 WFM Contact Info

Contents

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Name

This volunteer passport has been producedwith the generous support of the

WFM is part of Radio Regen. Registered

Charity No 1077763

NeighbourhoodRenewal Fund

• Give you and Wythenshawea voice

• Give you training andqualifications

• Help you find a job, if youwant one

• Let people know what’shappening where they live

• Get people talking aboutwhat’s going on inWythenshawe

• Broadcast radio that’s bothfun to listen to and make

• Make people proud to live inWythenshawe

• Tackle the bad image of the area

Our mission is to...

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Community FirstWFM is about thecommunity. It’s aboutmaking Wythenshawe abetter place and getting localpeople involved. WFM is not acommercial radio station andis not about making money orpresenters’ egos. Except forthe weekly ‘CommunityFocus’ show, all of thepresenters on WFM arevolunteers.

WFM’s licence is held andmanaged by Radio Regen, acharity based in city centreManchester.

• Training in presenting,production, desk driving andresearching radio shows

• Qualifications• New skills to help you get a

job, if you need one• Experience in the media• A chance to have your own

radio show• Bus fare (if you live in the

Wythenshawe area)

• Lunch money (if you live inWythenshawe and you’re atWFM for more than fivehours a day)

• Help with childcare• Volunteer meetings – give

your feedback!• A chance to meet new

people• Social events such as the

Christmas party

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What you’ll get from WFM

What WFMexpectsof you!

5*

• No smoking in the building• No consumption of alcohol

or drugs on premises• No swearing on air• No offensive jokes or

remarks on air or off – iethose based on race, colour,gender, sexuality or religion

• No promoting violence suchas gang culture

• No libel/defamation – askstaff if unsure

If you don’t follow the rulesyou may be barred fromWFM (see the station’sDisciplinary Procedure onpage 12).

Remember, volunteering atWFM is not just about youand your show. It’s aboutworking as a team andserving Wythenshawe.

• If you are going to miss ashow let a member of staffknow

• You cannot volunteer formore than 15 hours a week

• You and your guests mustsign in and out

• You must allow time forpreparation for your show.A minimum of 1 hour pershow is recommended.

• You are a valued volunteerbut you must notmisrepresent yourself as aWFM staff member to themedia, communityorganisations or othervolunteers.

• Leave the studio and officeclean – tidy up cups,rubbish etc

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Stage 2: Learn moreOnce you’ve got the basics,the second course we offer atWFM is for pre-recordedwork. This training isaccredited, which means youget a certificate (NVQ level 2).You will learn how to:• Operate a MiniDisc recorder• Create ‘vox pops’ using

voices from local people• Do digital audio editing• Produce jingles and trailers

for your show• Create pre-recorded

reports for your show

Your Training

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Stage 1: The BasicsYour training will begin witha short course to help you toget on air at WFM. Thecourse runs over 10 x 3 hoursessions and results in a liveor “as live” show. You willlearn how to:• Identify programme ideas• Research and prepare

shows• Work as part of a team• Conduct interviews• Speak confidently• Use a radio desk and other

studio equipment

Once you have received therelevant training, you may beable to volunteer at WFM as a:• Radio presenter• Specialist music presenter• Producer • Desk driver• As part of a show’s

production team

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Volunteer Opportunities

Off air roles include helpingwith:• Answering the telephone

for phone ins, debates andrequests

• Publicity• Administration• Reception• Choosing the playlist

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Stage 3: FurtherqualificationsIf you’ve got the radio bugand want to take thingsfurther, you can go on toattend a more in depth radiocourse at Radio Regen. Youwill study and their trainingstudios in Manchester citycentre.

There are a range of coursesin the daytime and eveningwhich are free to peopleclaiming Jobseekers’Allowance.

For the latest information onRadio Regen courses speak toa member of WFM staff orcontact:Radio Regen, 12 Hilton St,Manchester M1 1JFTel: 0161 237 5012Fax: 0161 237 9139Email: info@radioregen.orgwww.radioregen.org

The Next Step

!

You can claim expenses if youlive in Wythenshawe.

FoodIf you volunteer for morethan 5 hours a day you canget £1 for lunch (without areceipt) or up to £3 (with areceipt).

TravelWe can pay your local busfare up to £1.50 a day if youkeep your ticket.

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Get BusFare and Lunch!

To claim for lunch and travel,fill in a Volunteer ExpenseForm, attach anyreceipts/tickets and give tothe Administrator.

Make sure you hand yourexpenses claims in as soon aspossible – claims more than 2 weeks old will not be paid.

ChildcareWe can help with childcarewhile you’re volunteering bypaying towards the cost of anursery, after-school club orregistered childminder. Wecannot pay friends, familymembers or unregisteredchildminders.

For more information aboutclaiming lunch, travel orchildcare expenses, speak tothe Volunteer SupportWorker or Administrator.o

b

Don’ts• Bore the listener• Draw attention to mistakes• Use bad language• Take things to heart• Criticise others• Offend reasonable people• Make ‘wind up’ calls• Forget you’re from

Wythenshawe• Patronise• Be afraid of pauses• Bring your home life to

the studio• Be a cheesey radio DJ!

Dos• Represent Wythenshawe

and WFM• Entertain• Enjoy what you do• Have a professional attitude• Think before you speak• Be yourself, be real• Speak one at a time• Be intelligent and

accessible• Criticise constructively

On Air code ofConduct

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All WFM volunteers need tosign a ‘Volunteer Contract’.This Contract outlines whatyou can expect from WFMand what WFM expects fromyou, and includes a Code of

Behaviour which explains thestation rules. If you breakthese rules, the followingDisciplinary Procedure will beused to try and sort things out:

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Volunteer Contract and

r r

r rs

Minor issues

1. Informal chat with

Volunteer Support Worker

about the problem.

Serious misconduct e.g. smoking or drinking alcohol

at WFM, being disrespectful to

others, swearing on air.

2. Volunteer attends formalmeeting to discuss the

matter, and then receivesletter explaining what

action is needed.

3. Volunteer receiveswritten warning that if

the problem continues

they may no longer beallowed to volunteer.Volunteer may also be

temporarily suspendedfrom WFM.

A colleague, friend or relativecan accompany you at anystage in the DisciplinaryProcedure.

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Disciplinary Procedure

r

rr s

Gross misconduct e.g. violent/threatening

behaviour, being drunk or on

drugs at WFM, theft, sexual

harassment, dishonesty.

4. Volunteer is sent a writtenstatement about the

problem and has to attend

a disciplinary hearing.Volunteer can besuspended until the hearing

takes place. Volunteer may

then be dismissed.

5. Volunteer may write a

letter to appeal against

the decision. Note that for

very serious matters, no

appeal can be made.

6. Appeal meeting is held,which Radio Regen’sDirector may attend.Final decision is made.

ComplaintsProcedureIf you have a complaint aboutvolunteering at WFM youshould follow this process:

1.Talk to or write a letter tothe Volunteer SupportOfficer.

ChildProtectionUnder 18s cannot visit WFMunless they are properlysupervised.

If you are under 18, you musteither visit WFM at the timethat you have arranged witha Volunteer Support Worker(or other staff member), or you will need to beaccompanied by a parent,legal guardian, teacher oryouth worker. This appliesboth to volunteers and guestswho are under 18.

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2. If things are not sorted outor you feel unfairly treated,you can appeal to theStation Manager – either byspeaking to them or inwriting.

3. If the complaint is still notresolved or you still feelunfairly treated, you maythen appeal by writing aletter to Radio Regen’sDirector (see address onpage 9). You may be askedto attend a meeting withthe Director and StationManager. If appropriateyour grievance will be takento the Board of Trustees.

4. At any stage in thisprocess, you may beaccompanied by acolleague, friend or relative.

Healthand Safety

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FireAll volunteers and guestsmust sign in and out in thesigning-in book which is inthe studio production area.

In case of Fire• Tell a staff member

immediately• If you hear the fire alarm,

leave immediately• Use the nearest Fire Exit• Don’t stop to get bags or CDs

or to turn off equipment• Don’t run or panic• Leave the building and

assemble behind the KFCcar park

• The fire extinguisher issituated by the door in thestudio production area

Prevent Fire at WFM• No smoking• No flammable substances

or candles• Do not attempt to fix

microphones, the desk orother electrical equipmentat WFM, since our insurancedoesn’t cover this. The workmust be carried out by theTechnician.

• Report all equipment faultsto staff

First Aid• In an emergency, WFM’s

qualified First Aider will takecharge. Their name is postedon the production officenoticeboard

• There is a first aid box in theWFM office and in the studio

• Report all incidents to astaff member immediately

• All accidents or near missesmust be recorded in theAccident Book (in the WFMoffice)

AddressWythenshawe FMSuite A4, Alderman GatleyHouse, Hale Top, Manchester M22 5RQTel: 0161 499 7982Fax: 0161 499 7442Email: info@wfmradio.org

For BroadcastTo request a song, contact apresenter or give a ‘shout out’listeners can email onstudio@wfmradio.org or call0161 499 0222. Station schedule available atwww.wfm.org

WFM

Con

tact

s Station Manager

Programme Manager

Administrator

Volunteer Support Worker

First Aider

Business Development Officer

If you are going to miss a showplease let a member of staff know!