By Community Correspondent Aarti Shankar. You might be surprised to know that skilled radio presenters are only a stone's throw away. In fact, school students are the brilliant broadcasters of our local station, Youth FM. Youth FM is broadcasted live to Sutton on 106.8fm from the Phoenix centre in Roundshaw for two weeks a year. For the rest of the year, you can listen to it online on 87.7fm and revel in the latest, most popular music releases or fascinating, relevant discussions.

I was lucky enough to talk to a teenage presenter, Lydia Murtezaoglu, a year 12 student at Nonsuch High School for girls. She told me that she got involved in Youth FM via a summer course, free for 16 year olds and under, organised in Sutton: she just signed up online for the radio production course and was soon taught the basics. Apparently, the skill of the job lies in being co-ordinated enough to play the station jingles, the CD tracks and the faders, all on cue!

Lydia has been involved in presenting the 'Low-Down Show', where key dilemmas facing young people are examined, often with an expert to add valuable contributions and depth to the discussion. This year, the 'Low-Down Show' has covered topics such as teenage pregnancy, school stress, bullying, drugs, underage sex and the recession. It is useful to raise awareness of the problems affecting today's youth.

Talking to Lydia, I began to understand just how much she enjoyed working for Youth FM and how much it meant to her: "The station has another really important job in publicising local events that a lot of people wouldn't know about otherwise. But for me, I enjoy the experience of presenting! The support from the staff is always brilliant: there are three people - two youth workers and one local professional DJ, Dan Harding. I've met loads of really great people who I don't think I would have met otherwise and I feel part of a group. I would definitely recommend it because it's a confidence builder and can prove really useful if you're thinking of doing public speaking. Most of all, it can show you whether or not you're cut out for presenting radio shows as a career: if I wasn't confident doing a local show, I know I wouldn't be able to present a regional show!"

In addition, for completing the radio production course, Lydia receives an AQA qualification: "The aim is to get more and more people qualified and produce more skilled and experienced workers." On top of that it is a really fun way of getting to know new people and getting involved in your community.

Be sure to listen to Youth FM online on 87.7fm from 5pm to 10pm, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday during term time and listen out especially for Lydia Murtezaoglu, one of our local, up-and-coming star presenters. And why not give it a go and see if you voice was made for radio?