A community radio station forced off air due to a lack of funding is asking fans to stay faithful while volunteers raise £20,000.

Bishop FM’s contributors are planning a series of live music events and a 26-mile trek to get the station back up-and-running in September.

It temporarily shut down two weeks ago after the group could no longer afford the licence fees and to keep its base in Bishop Auckland’s Newgate Street.

The volunteer-led project was transmitting to Crook, Newton Aycliffe, Spennymoor and Bishop Auckland on 87.7fm and was available worldwide on the internet.

Rock show presenter Paul Manuel, 40, of Crook, hopes Durham County Council and volunteer organisation 2D throw some cash into the pot. He said: "It is amazing having people listen to your show and to have that sort of connection with people.

"It was the one thing I looked forward to every week.

"We are offering people an alternative to independent local radio and we are aimed towards the community."

The £20,000 will pay for a transmitter, equipment and running costs at a new location. Crook Town FC and a building at South Church are said to be options. Regulatory body Offcom awarded the station a five-year licence in 2007 after a successful two months’ trial but the economy has since taken a turn for the worse.

Mr Manuel said: "We didn’t want to make a big thing of it because people might think we’ve failed.

"We haven’t, this is happening everywhere."

Seven of the volunteers are training for a 26-mile walk from Billingham to Bishop Auckland on Sunday June 28.

The live music events kicked off on Saturday at Crook Town FC when North-East bands Curio, Under The Gun and Beyond The Grave performed.

Jazz, soul and other rock nights planned in County Durham will showcase fresh talent and raise money for the station. Mr Manuel appealed for budding radio stars to get in touch now.

"Our licence is for 60 per cent music and 40 per cent speech so we need people who want to do magazine programmes and we are are hoping to do local news," he said.

"There is a lot of things people can do behind the scenes as well as in front of the mic." For more information visit www.bishopfm.com.