More Than Gold - Outcomes

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The Commonwealth Games take place every four years. The XVII Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25th July to 4th August 2002. Over 4,000 athletes from 72 nations competed in 17 sporting disciplines. More than one million spectators watched the events live at the various venues and there was a worldwide television audience approaching one billion. The Games attracted huge interest especially in Africa, Oceania and the UK.

We had two specific aims for our ministry at the Commonwealth Games:-

1. To enable partner organizations represented on the team to fulfill their obligations for gathering radio material during the Games;
2. To fulfill our own three-fold aims:
   
   • To produce a daily, weekday radio programme for audiences in Africa;
   • To produce general and customized radio material for stations throughout the Commonwealth;
   • To develop a sporting events photo-library to share with Major Sports Event Partnership (MSEP) groups.

Partner groups included:-

Africa Networks -	Feba Radio;
	Christian Voice International;
	Trans World Radio;
Australia -	Radio Rhema;
	United Christian Broadcasters;
New Zealand -	Radio Rhema;
South Africa -	Cape Community FM (Cape Town);
	West Rand Stereo (Roodepoort);
UK -	Grace Baptist Mission;
	Operation Mobilisation;
	Radio Worldwide;
	Revival Media;
	United Christian Broadcasters (Europe)

The Games represented our biggest operation since the Sydney Olympics in September 2000. We recruited a team of 18 reporters, script-writers and producers from UK, Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We had different cultures and languages but were united by our common faith in Jesus Christ.

Reporters were based at an Operations Centre near the centre of Manchester. Radio Worldwide provided a Production Centre in Leeds for our editors and producers. The Centres were linked by ISDN facilities enabling the transfer of studio-quality audio material. The team included one script-writer working from home in London and our UK Distribution Centre manager based in Eastbourne on the South Coast.

Team members came as self-funded volunteers or on secondment from their sending organisation.

The team members were:

Name	Partner Group/Volunteer	Role	Base
Solomon Ashoms	CCFm, Cape Town	Presenter	Leeds
Adrian Barnard	2K Plus	Project Manager	Leeds
Martin Bateman	Volunteer, England	Photographer	Manchester
Mike Beardsley	Volunteer, England	Reporter	Manchester
Steve Best	UCB	Reporter	Manchester
Norman Brierley	Feba Radio, Africa	Reporter	Manchester
Rich Cline	Volunteer, England	Text reports	London
Mike Flynn	Volunteer, England	Operations Manager	Manchester
Brian Gate	Volunteer, England	Production Assistant	Leeds
Louise Heinrich	Volunteer, Australia	Reporter	Manchester
Malcolm Kokota	West Rand, Johannesburg	Reporter	Manchester
Kennedy Makambira	Volunteer, Zimbabwe	Reporter	Manchester
Ruth Mark	Radio Worldwide	Producer	Leeds
Mike Parsons	Grace Baptist Mission	Technical Manager	Leeds
Danny Rice	Feba Radio	Reporter	Manchester
Helga van Niekerk	CCFm, Cape Town	Producer/Presenter	Leeds
Peter Wooding	UCB	Reporter	Manchester
Patrick Woodward	Revival Media	UK Stations Manager	Eastbourne

Over the eleven days we produced the following services:

• 8 "More Than Gold" 30-minute programmes for radio stations in Africa.
  
  The programme was written and presented by Helga van Niekerk and Solomon Ashoms (CCFm, Cape Town) and produced by Ruth Mark (Radio Worldwide) and Mike Parsons (Grace Baptist Mission).
  
  "More Than Gold" was recorded at Radio Worldwide and uploaded to our ftp site. The programme was downloaded by Christian Voice International at their offices in the English Midlands and sent by satellite to their radio station in Zambia. From here it was broadcast to listeners across Africa and rebroadcast by Trans World Radio via the DStv satellite channel. Programmes were on air within four hours of recording.
• 54 telephone reports to ten stations in six countries. Norman Brierley, Kennedy Makambira, Helga van Niekerk and Louise Heinrich regularly phoned reports to stations in Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia.
• 28 features on stories behind the Games. We have found that radio stations consistently require more than just sports reports and interviews from major sporting events. This time we interviewed Games volunteers, eg VIP drivers and workers in the merchandising stalls, and reported on the Baton relay arriving in Manchester before the Games.
• 22 customised features for radio stations. Where possible we aim to fulfil specific requests from stations for interviews or features.
• 86 interviews with athletes, coaches etc. Not just the medal winners and household names. There are far more losers than winners so what motivates them?
• 42 interviews with "More Than Gold" workers engaged in Christ-centred ministry. It is estimated that up to one thousand different Christ-oriented ministry events were organised by over one hundred Manchester churches during the Games. These included the Athletes Family Host Programme, mobile drinks canteen and children's sports clinics. We spoke to the organisers and volunteers who ran these programmes, and members of the Games Chaplaincy programme.
• 7 interviews with athletes and officials who have a faith in Christ. These included gold medal winner in the triple jump, Jonathan Edwards of England, disabled swimmer and winner of the inaugural David Dixon award, South African Natalie du Toit, blind Nigerian sprinter Kingsley Ohiaeri and Uche Nebedum, Deputy Secretary-General of the Nigerian Olympic Committee.

At least 75 radio stations broadcast our material. Productions were broadcast on international, national, regional and community radio stations in Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Uganda, UK, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The daily "More Than Gold" programme offered 2K Plus a new opportunity as it was the first time we had been offered airtime to produce an entire programme.

Christian Voice International, network of 31 radios stations in Africa:
"Can I take this opportunity to thank you and the whole team for the excellent production "More Than Gold". We very much enjoyed broadcasting the programmes and I'm sure the listeners were blessed by them too."

Radio Pulpit, regional station proclaiming Christ, South Africa:
"Thank you... you did a great job and I would like to use your inserts in the future."

UK Distribution Centre, feeding BBC and commercial stations:
"I was very impressed with the quantity and quality of the material, the team needs to be congratulated on your efforts."

Baraka FM, Christ-centred metro-station, Mombasa, Kenya, re live telephone reports:
"I think it is a great leap, considering that even Kenya Broadcasting Corporation was not able to relay live. We are thankful to God for that arrangement."

Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, national government network:
"I used 2K Plus material on tv and radio. On radio I ... talked about chaplains ... plus Jonathan Edwards and Dan Cooley of "More Than Gold". The material was helpful thanks and I used... Christian content. Thanks a lot."

Capital FM, metro-station, Nairobi, Kenya:
"Management was very pleased with the links that came through. As far as we know, we were the only radio station receiving daily updates and the amount of information flowing through from your end was excellent. Thanks again, it is much appreciated."

Martin Bateman of OM Sportslink was our photographer. His photographs will be added to our growing sports events library. The aim is to produce a photo library of sporting action and sports ministry outreach events for partner organisations and associates to use in their publicity.

With over 230 radio items produced over the 11 days of the Games it was a very successful event. Thanks are due to each of the team for their marvellous contributions, especially the volunteers who gave not only their time but paid their own travel and accommodation costs.

The XVIII Commonwealth Games will be held in Melbourne, Australia in 2006

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