STUDENTS and staff could hear 'Radio Tavistock College calling' if an exciting broadcast project can be financed.

Principal John Simes is keen to launch an in-house radio station and has asked if the joint PTA will support it with their fundraising.

The reality should come that bit closer on Saturday, March 11, when a St Patrick's ceilidh gets people up and dancing for the cause.

College deputy principal and press spokesman, Graham Stoate, said the project would be quite costly.

'It would be at least £8,000 to set up. We would have a small studio and, depending on how much money we raise, we would have "x" number of speaker points around the college,' he said.

Mr Stoate said the idea was that at break, lunchtime and after school 'there could be programmes devised, operated and performed by students'.

'It will be for communication and entertainment —getting messages across in a user-friendly way. We have a newsletter for everybody three times a week —but this is a more immediate way for them,' he said.

'It would be good for the students practically and would be good fun as well.'

But Mr Stoate said it was a 'major project' and it all depended on 'quite a bit' of fundraising.

He discussed it at the recent joint PTA meeting and representatives from each PTA year group then went away to discuss it with their individual groups.

But already one group, PTSA '98, has taken positive action by using the St Patrick's ceilidh as the first fundraiser for the radio station.

Jane Cameron, chairperson of PTSA '98 said they had been asked if fundraising could be directed towards the project — and thought it was a good idea.

'It will be run by the students and be of especial interest to the media studies students,' said Mrs Cameron.

'It's nice to have some idea of what we are raising funds for because whatever we raise is for the benefit of the college. And this was something Mr Simes was particularly keen on.'

Mrs Cameron said the St Patrick's ceilidh was aimed at families and was really a barn dance where people could take part.

The event starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available from the college, Red Planet Records and estate agents Mansbridge and Balment.