Hello! I’m Sam Smette. Welcome to my corner of the world wide web.

I work in Marketing & Publicity by day for a local technology firm. Outside of my career, I’m a self-confessed radio geek, broadcast journalist and volunteer for two charitable organisations in the field where I also currently serve as a trustee. On my website, you’ll find information about me, my broadcasting activities, my life as a trustee, along with bits and pieces about travel, transport and technology, three hobbies of mine.

…So where did it all begin?

I’ve always had a passion for charities and technology, I was on the Charities Committee at my secondary school, The Warriner School in Bloxham, from the age of 14! My love for technology is something that has developed over time but started in secondary school when I was asked to build a website for a project involving linking our school with other educational institutions around the world who the school shared a reciprocal exchange programme with. This was 2008/2009 and although the website I built no longer exists, I believe the project does!

After completing my GCSE’s, I joined Banbury & Bicester College in 2007 (back then it was known as the Oxford & Cherwell Valley College) where I studied a BTEC National Diploma in IT, graduating in 2010 with a Distinction. Following this I began working full time with my then employer, managing the company corporate website and designing new marketing materials.

When I was in my teens, I’d often pondered a career in the media or broadcast sector and whilst I didn’t have the skills or qualifications at the time, in 2012, I joined an internet radio station, Reach on Air. The station has an interesting concept in that it allows ANYONE to broadcast a programme. I invested in a basic mixer, some software and a microphone – and off I went and presented my own show. Needless to say, it was an utter disaster, flawed with technical problems! However, I managed to rectify these and quickly got back behind the microphone.

In late 2012, I saw a fantastic opportunity advertised on social media with the local hospital radio station, Radio Horton recruiting volunteers to host new programmes. It sounded like it was up my street, so off I went to meet the then station manager, who offered me a programme on a Saturday night! I still present a programme to this day, the Monday evening Patient Request programme.

Later, I was invited to join the committee as they were looking for someone new with bright ideas, energy and enthusiasm and I became a trustee in 2013 at the age of 22, having been elected at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting. I’ve held roles of various portfolios since then but since 2017 have been responsible for overseeing the organisation’s publicity and media and designed a new logo, website, social media channels, pull-up banners, leaflets, flyers, brochures and literature drafting on behalf of the organisation.

I’ve since gone on to work as a volunteer reporter for the Banbury Takeover on BBC Radio Oxford which was another exciting chance to get out into the community, meeting grassroots organisations and individuals, broadcasting and sharing their stories with Oxfordshire. Some of the skills I learned here have proven to be invaluable and to date I continue to try and get out into the community to record pieces for my Radio Horton programme. Working full time makes this somewhat challenging, though!

With my home studio still very much in working order, I’m often found editing recordings at home, or producing voiceovers, station imaging or promotional trailers.

You can see some examples of my work in my portfolio.

In 2019, I stood for a trustee position at the Hospital Broadcasting Association, a national umbrella organisation which represents over 170 hospital, health and wellbeing broadcasting organisations across the country; supporting, representing, informing and developing them to be fit for the twenty-first century.

I am proud to be the youngest trustee at both organisations I volunteer with.

As such, I’d like to help shape the future of charities, organisations and board diversity and so in 2019 I learned of the Young Trustees Movement whose aim is to increase the number of young trustees in charities by 2024.  Using my experience and knowledge gained from over seven years as a trustee for a local and a national organisation, I’d like to share my story and educate and inform younger people about the fantastic opportunities available across the country as a charity trustee.

I still feel I am on much of a learning curve as I am often researching, investing & embracing new opportunities and technologies on behalf of the organisations I represent.

With the demand nationwide for trustees becoming ever more difficult, as society continues to evolve at a fast pace and demands, pressures and challenges facing young people of today, I am more ambitious than ever to ensure that charities are represented by a diverse personnel and to aid particularly smaller charities (whom may suffer with limited resources) to implore & advocate future, younger generations of trustees.

I can’t wait to get started and look forward to working with charities and groups in the South East bringing young trustees to the forefront of their agendas.

Outside of my career and my voluntary work, I lead a fairly busy social life and love travelling, exploring new places within the four corners of the United Kingdom and further afield having been to the USA, Canada and parts of Western Europe. You’ll also find me at the gym a couple of times a week!

Enjoy exploring my website and if you want to get in touch – even just to say ‘Hi’, feel free to email me or Tweet me @SamSmette.

Sam

x