Sector
Free two-way radio hire for charities and community events
Fundraising runs, village fêtes, street parties, sponsored walks and community festivals need marshals who can talk to each other and an organiser who can reach them, the same as any commercial event. Most charities cannot justify hiring radios for a day, so we lend them for free.
Registered charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for free hire of a pack of FW-400 or BD505 radios with chargers and earpieces for their event. We programme them, deliver them and collect them. The scheme depends on what we have free on the date, our checks, and our discretion, so apply early and tell us the date.
If the event is big enough to need a repeater, or you need radios for longer than a week, we quote a charity rate instead.
Typical accessories
- D-shape earpieces
- 6-way chargers
- Carry cases
What matters in charities and community events
The problems radios solve here, and how we set them up.
No budget for radios
The scheme is free. You sign a short agreement and cover the replacement cost of anything lost.
Volunteers, not radio users
The radios arrive programmed. Switch on, choose the channel, press to talk.
Long routes
Fun runs and walks cover miles. Licensed radios reach further than licence-free ones, and for very long routes we add a vehicle set.
One chance at the day
Radios arrive charged and tested the day before, with spares.
Recommended radios
What we send to charities and community events customers
Licensed digital DMR
Fellwave FW-400
Our standard hire radio. Licensed 5 W UHF digital, no screen, USB-C charging.
- UHF 400–470 MHz
- 256 channels in 16 zones, 16-position rotary knob
- Up to 5 W high / 2 W low
Licensed digital DMR
Hytera BD505
Hytera's entry-level digital handheld. Small, light and simple.
- UHF 400–470 MHz (VHF 136–174 MHz available)
- 48 channels, 3 zones, 16-position knob
- 4 W / 1 W UHF (5 W / 1 W VHF)
Charities and community events: common questions
Who qualifies for free hire?
Registered charities with a charity number, community interest companies, parish councils, school PTAs and other not-for-profit groups running a non-commercial community event. We check the organisation and the event.
How many radios and for how long?
Typically six to twelve radios for up to seven days including delivery and collection. Anything bigger or longer is quoted at a charity rate.
Is there a catch?
No charge, but it depends on availability on the date, our checks and our discretion. You sign a simple agreement, agree to the replacement cost for lost units, and we may ask for a photo or a line about the event for our website.
How do we apply?
Use the enquiry form, choose 'Charity' and tell us the organisation, the charity number, the event, the date and how many radios you need. We reply within two working days.
Enquire
Tell us about your charities and community events job. We'll spec and quote it today.
How many radios, the dates, where you are and what the job is. That is enough for us to put a kit list together.
- Email[email protected]
- Monday to Friday, 08:00–18:00. Out-of-hours support for live events by arrangement.
Want a rough price first?
Tell the quote calculator how many radios and for how long, and it shows an estimate straight away.
Get a price in 20 seconds