Inside Community Airwaves: Radio Lewisham’s ‘Introduction to Radio’ Workshop

On Tuesday 17th March, Partisan’s My Lewisham, My Ends Project Lead, Maria Shittu and young My Lewisham changemaker Funto, alongside Partisan’s Communications Lead, Payal Bhavsar , took part in a free ‘Introduction to Radio’ workshop at Radio Lewisham, delivered by Programme Manager Kitty Perrin.

Based within Lewisham Music, the session offered a hands-on introduction to the world of radio broadcasting, right in the heart of the local community.

Funto, ready to go on air on Radio Lewisham

We attended as part of our work on the My Ends, My Lewisham programme, with a clear aim: to create new opportunities for young people to build skills, confidence, and connections.

A key theme emerging from young people involved in the programme is that safety isn’t just about prevention or policing, it’s about access and opportunities. Access to employment pathways, creative platforms, and networks that open doors.

Partnering with grassroots initiatives like Radio Lewisham, founded by a former Young Mayor of Lewisham, felt like a natural way to support this, while amplifying local voices and stories.

Building skills, confidence and new perspectives

The workshop covered the fundamentals of radio, from structuring a show and conducting interviews, to researching topics, creating features, and understanding what makes a strong ‘link’. For many of us, stepping behind the mic was new (and a little nerve-wracking) but Kitty created a relaxed, conversational environment that made it easy to find our voice.

We were also joined by Myles, a young person on work experience at the station, whose calm energy and perspective added something special to the session. We moved from learning the basics to putting them into practice, going live on air and experiencing the full process in real time!

Spotlighting youth-led change in Lewisham

Our live show centred on the work of local young people driving change across Lewisham.

Funto shared insights from her project, Roots to Bloom, which focuses on environmental sustainability, health, and wellbeing. Her work brings together local growing initiatives and community knowledge-sharing around healthy eating, and creating spaces where communities can reconnect with both food and the world around them.

Alongside this, we highlighted wider activity from young people involved in the My Lewisham programme demonstrating the breadth of ideas and action happening across the borough. From music projects to safe spaces for men and women, it was a chance to bring these stories directly to a local audience.

And, in true radio fashion, we had some fun with it too, writing poetry live on air in a 3-minute challenge and sharing upcoming events in Lewisham for listeners to get involved in.

Why this matters

Workshops like this are more than skills-building. They create visibility, build confidence, and foster connection. For young people, having access to platforms like community radio can be transformative in developing technical skills, and in shaping how they see themselves and their own voice amongst others’.

At Partisan, this is central to our approach through our My Lewisham programme: supporting young people not only to stay safe, but to thrive in their neighbourhoods. That means investing in opportunities that build capacity, open networks, and centre youth voice in meaningful ways.

Thank you

A huge thank you to Kitty and the team at Radio Lewisham for delivering such an engaging and welcoming workshop. If you’re interested in spaces where young people in Lewisham can learn, lead, and be heard, definitely check them out!

Learn more about Radio Lewisham’s training opportunities here.