What to do about ALICE?

Many of you will know that our beloved Outside Broadcast lorry, ALICE, is showing signs of her older age. This means we have to consider her future and that how we manage outside broadcasts and support local events in the future. A small working group has been convened to consider the options and has concluded that we will need to start thinking about replacing the vehicle during the course of the coming year. That leaves us with questions of how we proceed in the future.

The facts of the matter are that, after many valiant efforts have been made to keep ALICE on the road and having tried in vain to find someone to address her deteriorating structural state, the number of people able and willing to drive the vehicle are small. Also, setting up ALICE requires people with a degree of physical stamina and therefore the number who can do this is limited. However, the importance of the impact that the presence of ALICE, with its stage, makes at events cannot be overestimated and the group agreed this factor should not be forgotten.

The board have now agreed that we now look for a smaller, vehicle such as a Luton van, horsebox etc. to be adapted and to which we could attach a mobile stage all suitably branded. This means we will be launching a fundraising campaign with a target of £30,000 for all the necessary vehicle equipment and work to be raised through a combination of grants and local fundraising efforts. WE NEED YOUR HELP both in raising the money but also in finding a suitable vehicle which would then be converted for our purposes.

Get your thinking caps on and your idea juices flowing. We need to raise that money and we need everyone to be on the lookout for suitable second hand vehicles. Please contact Revandrew@10Radio.org with your thoughts. We have set ourselves at the beginning of 2024 to have our new vehicle on the road.

Meanwhile… A date with ALICE – Volunteers are needed for the following OB bookings

Mon May 8th The Big Help Out in Wivey Square

Early May Wellington School TBC

Sun May 14th Wivey Primary School PTFA Funday at the Rec

Fri/Sat Aug 4/5th Taunton Flower Show at Vivary Park

Thurs Aug 19th Priorswood Funday in Taunton

Sat Aug 19th Wivey Show at the Rec

Sun 3rd Sept. Howard Road Funday, Wellington

Sun Sept 10th 10 Parishes Street Fair