Rob is passionate about radio, starting his radio career at BBC Radio Suffolk and now working on Suffolk Sound. Suffolk Sound is a stakeholder for West Suffolk College’s journalism course, helping to craft the content of the course and help those interested in a career in radio to develop their skills, giving them the pathway they need to succeed in the industry. 
 
Rob came in to talk about how Suffolk Sound will be working with the course and about an ongoing radio project that everyone will be involved in. He ran an activity where, in groups of two, everyone found a local story, from fairgrounds to VR healthcare, or prisoners being released early. There were a variety of different stories and topics that were used to then pitch the idea to the rest of the class, gaining insight on what information was needed to further the story, or how to turn it into a story that listeners would want to know more about.
 
From there, the stories were then lengthened to approximately 100 words, or 1 minute when read aloud. This was done using research or personal knowledge/opinions to correctly expand on all aspects that a listener may want to know about. 
 
When it came to reading the finished story to the rest of the class - the real challenge began! Our notes were taken away and we had to recall and explain as much as we could from memory to everyone, trying to remember to take pauses when needed, use internation in our voices and keep a good speed, not rushing to get everything out. Everyone brought great stories to the table and it was great fun to not only practice our radio skills but to also learn about what’s going on in the community and around Suffolk. 
 
“I found the visit really useful as I’ve been looking at going into radio so I enjoyed learning about all the different skills in radio, as well as getting the chance to practice and experiment with an industry professional there,” - Molly, Year 2 Student
 
Rob’s visit was definitely a valuable experience and we can’t wait to not only work alongside Suffolk Sound but to also welcome him back in the future! 
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