Vote of No Confidence

Here is the Open Letter

A professional response has not been forthcoming. But here you can read for yourself how those actually delivering the project, and making Tynedale FM happen, had suffered under poor example, and what was required to change.

Surely this is just one person having a rant?

Nope, this was put together with input from several contributors.

Far from a "heat of the moment" frenzy, the open letter was well prepared by clear thinking persons with diligence.

An open letter concerning the current Directorate of Tynedale Community Radio Limited (trading as Tynedale FM)

Tynedale FM is a wonderful community project that ought to enrich the lives of local residents and businesses through opportunities to engage with the station as a volunteer, the opportunity of advertising and promoting local products and services and by simply enjoying programmes as a listener.

A great deal of progress has been made over the last twelve months with premises acquired, funding streams identified and two successful short-term (RSL) broadcasts well received by the local community.

Over 100 local people have volunteered to be involved with the project and those who have been active so far have achieved the above through hard work, tenacity and a commitment to succeed. No-one has been paid a penny for their efforts – everyone is an unpaid volunteer.

The future of the station and of the project as a whole should be bright – endless possibilities lie before us.

However, all members of the Tynedale FM Steering Committee signed to express serious misgivings about the ability of the current Directorate to continue to effectively deliver this project.

Whilst we cannot overlook recognising the invaluable work that key individuals at Director level have done in fundraising and attracting support we do not feel that there is either the capacity or skills to manage, motivate, inspire or support a team effectively and sensitively as we move forward.

There have unfortunately been a number of regrettable incidents over recent months, including (but not limited to):-

• Unfounded, misjudged and often inaccurate accusations made in emails to individual volunteers. These are usually sent to wide circulation groups which have on occasion included work colleagues or line managers of volunteers involved. We can see no reason why work colleagues or line managers of volunteers need to be copied into any such communications – particularly when allegations have time and again been proved to be unfounded.

• Non-attendance at critical meetings. There have been a number of occasions when business due to be conducted at Steering Group meetings cannot effectively be conducted because there has not been a single Director in attendance. Insult is sometimes added to injury by the absence of any apologies having been made in advance.

• Over-promising and under-delivering. For weeks, the Steering Group were led to believe that a Business Plan, crucial to the second RSL was in preparation and was actively being worked upon. Requests by Steering Group members to see work in progress or a draft copy were declined until three weeks before the critical deadline, it was finally conceded that the “Business Plan” consisted merely of a few hastily prepared paragraphs and other content copied from a similar project elsewhere in the country. Mixed font sizes, inconsistent formatting and several completely blank sections of the plan made it look amateurish at best.

Only with last minute “emergency” assistance from a Steering Group member were the Directorate able to deliver a completed Business Plan around an hour before the requisite deadline. It is clear that the Directorate have a lack of business planning experience.

In summary, this ought to be a venture 'for the community - about the community - by the community'.

At the moment, it seems to be a “possession” of the directors and they see themselves as owners with authority over the workers.

It is for this reason that we, the entire steering group, are hereby expressing a vote of no confidence in the current Directorate of Tynedale Community Radio and we urge them to relinquish their roles with immediate effect – for the greater good of the project as a whole.

It is imperative that this project succeeds – as mentioned above; the future should be very bright indeed. Furthermore, continued input from the current Directorate would be more than welcome – in roles that suited their experience and abilities much better than at present.