Hi, Welcome to Radio Cracker

Radio Cracker is Ballymena's Only charity radio station

Radio Cracker raised £38,700 for its supported charities in 2023

Radio Cracker Shop

The Radio Cracker Shop has now closed. We would like to thank the Fairhill Centre for their generosity in supplying the unit, and to all who donated and/or bought from the shop.

We will be opening a new store in Ballymena Town Centre in mid November 2024, further details will be provided closer to the time.

Connect with the shop on Instagram

If you would like to become a Radio Cracker member and volunteer in our shop, or help with our next broadcast, please contact us!

A message from 2023 Radio Cracker Chairman Bill McCluggage:
We'd like to thank everyone who made the Radio Cracker Ballymena 2023 season such a success. We raised an amazing £38,700 and this will go to the 7 projects that we are supporting: Care for Cambodia, Mulyata Children's Mission, BREAD, fields of life, Spud Bear Ministries, Samaritan's Purse, and the Smiles Foundation. In addition, we also provided customers in the Radio Cracker Shop in the Fairhill Shopping Centre the opportunity to buy 'Alternative Christmas Gifts' and the money raised will go to the Leprosy Mission Northern Ireland for special sandals for leprosy sufferers in Nepal, Second Sight for cataract operations in India and additional mattresses for children in Uganda through Spud Bear Ministries.

Thank you to our main sponsors: Stephens Catering and McBurney Transport. In addition, the ability to operate from a unit in the Fairhill Shopping Centre made this year's broadcasts possible. So, a big thank you to the Fairhill Shopping Centre management and staff. Our second studio operated during weekday and Saturday evenings, and all day on a Sunday from First Ballymena Presbyterian Church. Thank you for your support.

The Radio Cracker Ballymena Committee would like to thank everyone who took part in this year's fund-raising activities. The Radio Cracker Shop will open again in late January so please continue to visit and there’s lots of great bargains awaiting the canny shopper in 2024.

Finally, you can still support us by donating online and funds raised will go to our projects in 2024.

Radio Cracker History

We've been broadcasting in Ballymena every Christmas since 1992, and we have raised over £1,800,000 thanks to our volunteers and you, our listeners and supporters.

We have a full schedule for our broadcast, complete with a wide variety of music programs hosted by our volunteer presenters, some veteran and some new to the scene! View the 2023 Radio Cracker program schedule.

Each weekday, a local school choir will be performing in the Fairhill centre and singing on the School Spot radio show. Details on school spots.

Guest speakers provide a Thought For The Day section each day. Thought for the Day section.

The money raised over the last 30+ years have improved the life and wellbeing for thousands of people by the projects we have supported. Read about how we have helped.

£1,800,000+
Raised for Charity Projects
10,000+
Hours on FM Radio
200+
Worldwide projects supported

Upcoming Events, eveyone is welcome

TEA DANCE
flyer for Radio Cracker 2024 tea dance
THURSDAY 17th OCTOBER at 1pm
CARNLEA ORANGE HALL

TABLE QUIZ
FRIDAY 15th NOVEMBER at 7:30pm
BALLYMENA RUGBY CLUB

COUNTRY CONCERT
TUESDAY 3rd DECEMBER at 8pm (doors 7:15pm)
LEIGHINMOHR HOUSE HOTEL

CAROL SERVICE
SUNDAY 15th DECEMBER at 8:15pm
FIRST BALLYMENA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Radio Cracker Facebook

2023 Supported Projects

Supported projects for 2023 are:

  • Samaritan’s Purse: for biosand water filters in Cambodia
  • Fields of Life: for a borehole in a village in Northern Uganda
  • Mulyata: Solar panels for a children’s mission in Zambia
  • Smiles Foundation: RCB will sponsor a medical treatment room in Romania
  • Care for Cambodia: Classroom equipment
  • Spud Bear: Mattresses for 200 children in a home in Uganda
  • B.R.E.A.D: 15 water tanks for homes in Kenya

Sponsors