MUSIC lovers with wild and wonderful tastes are being invited to present their own radio show on a brand new Witney station about to hit the airwaves.

Witney Radio will be broadcast on 99.9FM from Friday following a successful crowdfunding campaign to purchase equipment.

The station, which started out online five years ago, also needs volunteer presenters with interests in news, business, sport and events.

Director Barry Clack said: “We want volunteers to come on board with us.

"It doesn’t matter how obscure someone’s taste in music might be – we never say no to people.

“We want people to come to us with their ideas for a show.

"We’re not a commercial station so it’s not a numbers game for us.

“We also want our volunteers to take something away from the project and to develop their skills.”

Mr Clack and a group of about 25 others spent four years promoting events and discussing issues on their online radio station.

After receiving an FM licence from Ofcom last year, Mr Clack and his colleagues launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £4,000 for equipment needed for radio broadcasting.

With the cash successfully raised with help from the community,businesses in the area and the Witney Gazette, the team are preparing to take to the airwaves.

An initial test period will be followed by the official grand launch on Friday, July 14.

Mr Clack said: “It’s quite surreal. It’s been five years since we became an online station.

"To get this far and get a licence from Ofcom is like a dream.

“It probably won’t fully sink in until I’m driving home in the early hours of Friday morning listening to Witney Radio.”

With a team of 30 volunteers, 22 of whom are presenters, the station has received a great deal of interest from people passionate about music and their community – but more are needed before the grand launch next month.

Mr Clack said: “We need volunteers for news, community events, we need people interested in business, in sports.

"A lot of stations have a lot of younger volunteers, which is one thing we don’t have.

"Our demographic is incredibly mixed so it would be good to get some young people involved too.”

Speaking about prospective DJs, he continued: “We want people to come to us with their own ideas for shows.

"We have somebody that plays B-sides of popular songs. That’s the kind of creativity we want.”

Those wanting to present a show at the station, or help in any other capacity, can get involved by emailing volunteer@witneyradio.co.uk.

Witney Radio will broadcast LibFest, the festival in the memory of Witney teenager Liberty Baker, live from The Leys on June 24.