Local radio station RWSfm 103.3 can be heard from further afield from today.

The radio station, which has been broadcasting on FM to Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding areas since 2010, announced last year that it had been granted an increase in power from OFCOM which allows it to reach a bigger audience.

Drive presenter and Deputy Station Manager Ryan McClean said “It’s been a very difficult time for many people, with the current COVID-19 situation and many people around the town have found us a great comfort which we are looking forward to extending more in to West Suffolk as well as improving any ‘patchy’ areas of coverage in Bury St Edmunds”.

Funding from Bury St Edmunds Town Council last month has allowed the station to purchase the new transmitter, which will allow a better coverage across the area and include more villages in the vicinity.

Bury St Edmunds Town Clerk, Greg Luton said, “The Town Council are delighted to be funding this grant. Town Councillors are very supportive of RWSfm, in its work of bringing local radio to the town and beyond. With everyone locked down at home, local news and entertainment has never been more welcome and the Town Council wanted to play its part too”.

RWSfm 103.3, is a not for profit organisation and run entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers, it is based on Hardwick Lane and provides the town and now more of West Suffolk with a mixture of popular music and specialist music shows as well as local information, National, International and local news, weather, traffic and local interviews.

The station’s popularity has increased since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, helping listeners feel less isolated as well as the many working from home. In November RWSfm 103.3, along with Our Bury St Edmunds, ran a day of celebrations on what would have been the Christmas light switch on. The day included interviews with charities, schools and organisations which, in normal times, would have had stalls at the event. Santa and the Mayor Cllr Peter Thompson also made an appearance on air for the count down to the release of the popular OurBuryStEdmunds Christmas light switch on advert.