South London station Reprezent Radio under threat from closure as it issues fundraising plea

British rapper Stormzy’s first radio interview was at the station in 2014

South London station Reprezent Radio has issued a funding plea to continue operating amid funding cuts.

The radio station was founded in 2011 and has helped thousands of young people enter into the media and music industries. It is the training ground for many well-known broadcasters such as BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova and presenter Munya Chawawa, and has shaped the careers of musicians like British rapper Stormzy and recent Mercury Prize winner Femi Koleoso.

As an OFCOM-licensed youth-led community radio station, Reprezent has long offered a free media training course for young people aged 16-25 looking to learn radio presenting, from behind-the-scenes production to becoming a DJ. The organisation is often credited for allowing young people a place to express themselves while also learning skills to help them build careers in the media and music industries.

The organisation has now called for donations after it faced continual cuts to its funding.

Reprezent is in the process of becoming a Government-registered charity but it claims it has been waiting more than two months to receive a response.

That wait time, the organisation says, could force it to shut out its operation, more than 2,500 young people – and thousands of listeners – without the opportunity to access its community.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the station’s Brixton HQ in 2018 as part of a royal visit.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Reprezent Radio in 2018 (PA)

British rapper Stormzy gave his first radio interview on Reprezent in 2014.

BBC Radio DJ Annie Mac has expressed support for the station’s crowd funder, and said in a video that Reprezent is vital for the future of the next generation of radio presenters.

“Reprezent is so important for many reasons,” she said. “The root of its importance is the fact that it holds a safe space for such a big range of young people to learn and to grow and to develop their skills and when it comes to radio and broadcasting, and music, and radio production.”

“It shouldn’t be underestimated how many people who started out at Reprezent that now work at much bigger stations or media companies and have got so much work experience from Reprezent.”

Mac said it would be easy to look at Reprezent as a “stepping stone” but really, if the station did not exist, then it would “be a door closed” for many.

BBC Radio DJ Annie Mac has voiced support for the youth radio station (Getty Images)

In a statement, Reprezent said that the cost of delivering their training for young people is at an all-time high, while income availability is at an all-time low.

“We pay the bills with grants, donations, sponsorship and broadcast commissions, but post-pandemic these are becoming harder and harder to obtain,” it said.

“We are currently in the process of becoming a registered charity. This will enable us to access a far wider range of private funders, several of whom have already expressed interest in supporting us: however, our application has been repeatedly delayed by post-pandemic backlogs, and we’ve already waited more than two months longer for a response than anticipated.”

“As a result, we need your support to bridge the gap and make sure these young people are given the chance to succeed. Without it, we may be forced to shut down our operation before we’re able to capitalise on these new opportunities.”

Femi Koleoso, drummer and leader of the award winning british jazz group Ezra Collective, first joined Reprezent in 2018 and started hosting his own radio show.

He said that the station has been instrumental in giving a platform to emerging subgenres that now dominate mainstream charts.

“Without Reprezent, there’s no Grime [music] in the way that it happened. Without Reprezent, the UK jazz scene doesn’t do and step in the way that it did. [Ezra Collective] wasn’t getting plays on the bigger radio stations to begin with – it started at [Reprezent].

“I remember when Ezra Collective released “You Can’t Steal My Joy”, we were all at Reprezent, as friends playing our music, playing all types of music. You know, the first ever opportunity to use a CDJ or a vinyl turntable ended up being at Reprezent radio.”

Shane Carey, Founder and CEO of Reprezent said in a statement that 63 per cent of youth organisations are seeing increased demand for services, and 67 per cent face increased operating costs.

“We don’t just want to raise funds to keep our doors open to [young people], we want to raise awareness of the threat that many organisations like ours are facing and encourage those who have the power to act, to act.”

Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, added that Reprezent’s situation highlights a real crisis facing grassroots music”.

“Like so many of the diverse projects we support, they are doing amazing work to bring emerging young creatives into industry jobs, creating a pipeline of talent so that we can enjoy a more inclusive and progressive music scene.

“We wouldn’t accept this lack of grassroots investment in other areas such as sport, and so we mustn’t accept it in music.”

You can donate to Reprezent Radio’s fundraiser here.