CBF Ambassador

“My involvement in community radio has changed my life. I have made friends that I’ll have forever.”

Syleste moved to Australia from the UK six years ago and found her community connection at Radio Skid Row.

“Even as a confident individual, I came to Australia with no friends, no family and a husband away at work eight or nine hours a day. Loneliness hit me hard.”

After the birth of her baby, Syleste was desperate for connection, finding her piece of Caribbean heaven flicking through the radio dial in her car.

“I found a 60-year old man named Jah Bya. He played the Reggae music that I love, and that accent was unmistakably Jamaican.”

Syleste quickly sent a request to volunteer at Radio Skid Row, and there she met Jah Bya.

“I felt so welcome. Jah Bya was such a sweet and awesome man who never showed me any judgement. He gave me an opportunity to panel on his show, Sound Revolution. He made me feel good about myself.”

Spurred on by his encouragement, six weeks later in 2014, Syleste started her soul music program, the Golden Selection. By 2016 she was a Board Member at the station.