MEDIA RELEASE May 23, 2024
Toronto, ON – On May 23rd, 2024, local MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam met with the team at Met Radio to hear more about the $78,700 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that was used to recover and rebuild some of the community organization relationships, volunteer outreach and training processes, and in-person studio activities impacted by COVID-19 pandemic closures. The project will reach completion in July 2024, and will continue to strengthen the foundation for community outreach, while providing valuable tools to further engage our volunteer-base and community going forward.
“Congratulations to MET Radio once again on receiving the Resilient Communities Fund grant,” said Kristyn Wong-Tam, MPP for Toronto Centre. “I am confident that this will greatly expand your Radio Everywhere program and outreach efforts. Community radio is more important than ever for skill-building and creative expression. I am inspired by your ability to train and serve students, showcase local talent, and inspire the next generation of creatives.”
To oversee the project, Met Radio hired Quinton Bradshaw for the role of Community Outreach Program Manager. A survey was done to get some feedback about volunteer and community members’ needs and wants, the results of which directed a revamp of the process for engagement. Eight public workshops were held throughout the year, some in partnership with community organizations, on various topics from hosting concerts to writing arts grants. Additional partnerships with organizations targeted working with youths, and others focused on producing radio series. Campus student groups were also engaged to bring new people and voices to the radio station. Further callouts for commissioned works and challenges were overseen by the Outreach Coordinator, bringing submissions from as far away as Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Thanks to the funding provided by Ontario Trillium Foundation, the range of opportunities for outreach and involvement was greatly expanded, offering great potential for the future too.
“As a campus/community radio station, we survive by robust personal engagement, which proved to be difficult over the past few years particularly due to the limitations we all faced during the pandemic,” said Sean Warkentine, Station Manager at Met Radio. “This grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation was the perfect opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the community and reconnect not only with local organizations and artists, but additionally with our volunteers too. We are very pleased to have been considered and offered this impactful community project that the Ontario Trillium Foundation invested in this year.”
“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested more than $110M into 1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support ch
ild and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Met Radio’s vision is to become an integral part of Toronto and the Toronto Metropolitan University campus, and to be a leader in the multi-media redefinition of radio beyond air. If
readers are interested in volunteering and making radio and media, please visit the website at metradio.ca.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Sean Warkentine, Station Manager
Met Radio
416-904-6889
sean@metradio.ca
