DRUMCHAPEL youngsters are heating up the airwaves with their new school radio.

Run entirely by pupils, DHSounds has five shows a week that see all ages take turns to host and choose songs, as reported by our sister title the Evening Times.

After three years in the planning, the radio station has gone live thanks to £3000 of funding from Glasgow Airport’s Flight Path and £7000 from Awards for All.

Station manager Kayleigh Wilson and deputy station manager Maria Montgomery oversee the operation.

Becca Dobson, principal teacher of wider achievement, had set up a similar radio station in another school - and decided the project would be perfect for Drumchapel High.

She said: “Plenty of other schools have this but they don’t utilise it properly. I wanted this to be run by the pupils for the pupils with them taking full control of it.

“The young people come to Kayleigh and Maria if they have any problems. I want them to develop grit and determination to solve any issues by themselves as they know there isn’t a teacher they can turn to to fix it for them.

“It’s important our young people get as much opportunity as possible to develop an understanding of the world of work.”

Kayleigh, 16, said the experience of running the station has prompted her to aspire to train to be a teacher.

She said: “I really enjoy when the younger pupils come to me for help and getting to know them.

“I want to be a teacher now so I can help young people learn the skills they need and be a positive influence on them.”

Liz Cameron, the council’s Executive member for Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning, said: “This started out as a project to support the development of skills for learning, life and work and has encouraged a variety of young people across the school to become involved.

“DHSounds is sure to be a big hit in the school and I congratulate everyone involved in the project.”

East Dunbartonshire Councillor Manjinder Shergill, who sits on Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund Committee, said: “It is fantastic project, particularly as it has been set up and managed by the pupils for the pupils - we’re sure it will be a great success.”