Fareham Borough Council has awarded Save a Warrior UK £4,704.00 from its Community Fund, to convert one of its rooms within Fareham Shopping Centre into a professional podcast and social-media recording studio.

Save a Warrior UK is a suicide‑prevention programme dedicated to preserving the lives of those in the Armed Forces and Emergency Services community by addressing mental health and wellbeing through a compassionate, proactive approach. It currently operates a community co-working space in Fareham Shopping Centre, and the proposed recording studio will provide accessible recording facilities for podcasts, interviews and social-media content, with equipment and training available to those who cannot afford commercial studios.

The Studio will also be open to residents, students, charities and community groups, providing an affordable and accessible place to record podcasts, interviews and educational content. Community groups who have expressed an interest so far include Autek, Community First, Recovery Connections, Inclusion, Crafty Makery and Disabled Peoples Voice.

Executive Member for Leisure and Community at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Connie Hockley, said: “I am really pleased that the Community Fund was able to help support Save a Warrior UK with this project to create a recording studio within Fareham Shopping Centre. This will enable all sorts of groups, veterans, schools and charities to share their stories and raise awareness of community issues and is a fantastic use of this space as well as the funding awarded.”

For more information about Fareham’s Community Fund and how to apply, please visit: www.fareham.gov.uk/grants.