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Aim: Empowering 50 Wigan teens to launch their own podcast, giving them the skills, tools & voice to shape their futures and their community.
Pods of Sunshine – Giving Wigan’s Young Voices the Mic
🎙️
Help us raise £12,000 to launch a youth-led podcasting revolution in the heart of Wigan!
“If there’s hope, it lies in the young.” – George Orwell (sort of)
Right now, in the wards of Scholes, Ince and Abram – among the most economically deprived areas in the UK – a new generation of bright, passionate young people are ready to speak up. They just need a platform. That’s where you come in.
We’re raising £12,000 to launch “PODS OF SUNSHINE” – a dynamic, youth-led podcasting team aged 11 to 17, who will meet monthly at Sunshine House in Scholes to interview local politicians, business leaders, artists and celebrities, tackling the issues that shape their lives, their futures, and their communities.
We aim to benefit at least 50 young people through this initiative, providing them not only with a voice but with skills and access they wouldn’t otherwise have.
From questions about mental health and the environment to employment and education, these young people will challenge the status quo – and learn how to become the journalists, news reporters, influencers, and changemakers of tomorrow.
💥 Why This Matters
Scholes was once home to George Orwell, who shone a light on poverty in his seminal work The Road to Wigan Pier. The ancestors of today’s young people were at the centre of that story – and though times have changed, the opportunity gap remains stubbornly wide.
The industries that once sustained families – coal, cotton, factories – are gone. What remains is potential. With your support, we can turn that potential into purpose.
Your donations will fund not only training and mentorship but also the creation of our very own youth media studio inside Sunshine House, including studio hire, green screens, cameras, sound equipment, and podcast tech. This is about more than microphones – it’s about building infrastructure for long-term youth expression.
The PODS OF SUNSHINE initiative is proudly backed by Richard Blair, George Orwell’s adopted son, and The Orwell Society, who recognise that giving young people the tools to tell their own stories is the most powerful form of social change.
🌟 Who We Are
This project is powered by Pianos, Pies and Pirouettes CIC – a vibrant Wigan-based social enterprise already lifting young lives through music, dance, drama and creative media. We’re all about access, creativity and confidence-building, and this project is the natural next step in our mission.
From ballet to beat-making, we’ve worked with hundreds of young people to unlock their talent and energy. Now we want to hand them the mic – and let them speak for themselves.
🧭 Aligned with the LUNDY PRINCIPLE
This project reflects the UK’s Lundy Model of Participation, which ensures young people are given:
✅ A safe space to express themselves
✅ A voice that is heard
✅ An audience that listens
✅ A system that responds
PODS OF SUNSHINE isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for representation and respect.
💝 What You Get When You Give
We’ve put together some amazing rewards to thank you for your support:
PLUS – all donors will be entered into a prize draw to win a VIP table for 2 at The Carling Lounge, Brick Stadium – home of Wigan Warriors – for a 2026 match of your choice from a selected list!
🔊 Help Us Raise the Volume
This isn’t charity. It’s investment in a future where Wigan’s young voices lead the conversation.
We already have young people lining up to join our podcasting team. We’ll be sharing their videos and stories as the campaign unfolds – because we believe in making media for the people, by the people.
Your donation will fund:
🎙️ Podcast equipment & tech
📷 Green screens, cameras & sound equipment
🏢 Studio hire at Sunshine House
🧠 Training sessions in journalism, interviewing & digital media
🤝 Mentorship from real-world journalists, politicians & creatives
🍕 Regular meet-ups, transport and refreshments
📡 A public podcast channel – hosted and produced by the youth themselves
🎧 Let’s Turn Up the Sunshine
Donate today – and be part of a Wigan story that’s all about rising, not surviving.
Let’s turn microphones into megaphones. Let’s give our young people a seat at the table.
Let’s launch PODS OF SUNSHINE – and let the next chapter begin.
[💛 DONATE NOW 💛]
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 5th September 2025 at 1:37pm