VOLUNTEERS at Hayes FM say they have become disillusioned with the direction the radio station is heading in, and are making fresh calls for new leadership.

The presenters are on the verge of rising up against the board, which is headed by Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell (pictured), amid allegations of poor working conditions and a lack of training opportunities that had been its calling card since first being formed in 2002.

They are demanding the return of Sutish Sharma, its founder and former manager who departed last October.

Responding to pleas from volunteers, Mr Sharma submitted a proposal to the board calling for members to step down in order to secure a bright future of the station.

He said: “I have been saddened to hear what has happened to Hayes FM. I have an emotional attachment to it going back 10 years. I put together the proposal because the volunteers came to me and asked for my help, and I have a duty to stand with them.

“The best solution for Hayes FM right now is for the organisation to be placed in the trust of media and radio people who have the experience.”

The Gazette first reported on the ill-feeling at Hayes FM in March, with dissenting volunteers gunning for management and preparing a petition urging members to step down.

The ship appeared to have steadied following a crunch meeting, but now it seems that relations in the hierarchy have soured further since then.

A spokesperson for the volunteers, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Gazette: “We all feel as though we need to act now, before it is too late.

“Hayes FM is important to us, but there has been a serious deterioration. Before Sutish left we didn’t have any problems. We are afraid to ask questions [of the board], and there is a lack of transparency.”

The station is due to move out of its studio at St Anselm’s Church in Station Road, Hayes, to a new facility at Rosedale College in Wood End Green Road, Hayes. There had been a long-running dispute with the church over rent, but an agreement has now been reached.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of London said: “We recognise their current financial situation and believe we have found a constructive way forward. We continue to wish them well in their fundraising efforts and hope they are able to continue to broadcast to the local community.”

Helen Lowder, Hayes FM secretary, said she had not been made aware of the volunteers’ concerns, but said the station was about to start an ‘exciting chapter’.

“I am sorry that there are a core group of presenters who feel a little disillusioned.

“The voluntary sector is going through a hard time, with funding drying up.

“We will be moving to Rosedale College in the near future which will provide a fantastic hands on training resource for young people in the local area while maintaining our independence as a community radio station.

“We are interviewing candidates for the station manager role on Thursday.”

Thousands of people tune into the station each week, and it broadcasts to Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow on 91.8FM as well as online.

There is a dedicated team of about 30 presenters. Hayes FM went on air in 2007 after gaining a five-year local radio licence, and this was renewed last year.