A COMMUNITY radio station has celebrated moving into its new studio with a launch party which saw the Barrow mayor broadcast live from Abbey Road.

Cando FM has moved from its Furness College origins at Channelside into the Cookes Studio arts centre.

The station is now operating as a social enterprise in the heart of Barrow town centre. Cando FM aims to become a platform for community voice across Furness, by providing a much needed modern radio service incorporating social media platforms with live video.

Barrow Mayor, Councillor Bill McEwan and Furness College deputy principal, Mark Nicholson, officially opened the new studio yesterday.

Councillor McEwan broadcast live from outside the studio building on Abbey Road, interviewing guests from across the community.

He now quite fancies being a presenter.

Furness Broadcast Media runs the community enterprise station and the directors are Jonny Williams, founder of the station, Bob Qazi, Geoff Steele, Mark Russell and Paula Herrington.

Mr Williams said: “Cando FM has grown from being an extremely successful college project and it’s now here in the town centre and more accessible to the community.

“This is an extremely exciting step forward. It’s a perfect location in a community arts centre in the centre of town.

“There will be collaborative working going on between all these enterprises.

“We will be working with Furness College students and school students, that is super important to us. There will be fantastic work experience opportunities here in this building.

“Our community links will grow even more.”

Mr Nicholson said: “Furness College has been there from the start.

“I remember Jonny coming to college six years ago after a technology conference saying we should have an FM radio station.

“He put together a bid for an online station and it took about three years to get running as an FM station.

“It’s gone from strength to strength since then. It’s right that the station is walking on its own two feet and is allowed to flourish in the town centre. The fact that the town centre needs redevelopment and regeneration, I think Cando FM can make a really difference to that.”