posted 21 ^st Mar 2019

Photo: Kevin Riley (right) with Diane Herring (centre) and Wrightington Hospital Radio volunteers

The radio station, which has been broadcasting to the Trust’s patients since 1973, will use the grant to improve the quality of the service on offer to patients and their families, as well as providing an experience for budding presenters which could help them to develop a career in broadcasting.

Diane Herring, the Chair of Hospital Radio, said; “We will use the funding to replace ageing equipment and to improve and develop our ability to broadcast quality programming to the patients, their families and friends at the hospitals and units we serve, and also to the wider community.

“Radio studio equipment is expensive to replace and it is also constantly developing and evolving so Wrightington Hospital Radio is keen to keep up with, and indeed be ahead of, developments.  This award from The National Lottery Community Fund will certainly help us to do this.”

The radio station provides a range of live programmes, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, as well as live coverage of all home games for both Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, and is also involved in wider community activities supporting and promoting healthy lifestyles and health related organisations.

Shows are also broadcast on-line so that families can share the experience with relatives in hospital.

Kevin Riley, the Secretary of Wrightington Hospital Radio, said; “Communities and community groups contact us to promote their activities through live broadcasts so this grant will allow us to obtain the necessary equipment to go out into the community and present live broadcasts from, among other things, events such as village fairs, dementia cafes and health events. 

“One patient told us that she was delighted to hear a recording of her village fair, as it made her feel that she was still part of that community while being in hospital.  

“I would like to thank all the National Lottery players and I am pleased that they will be able to see, through this award to us, that they are making a difference to their local community”.

Wrightington Hospital Radio is always looking for new volunteers to develop its ability to provide a wide range of programme over as much of the week as possible and is looking for presenters, ward visitors and other supporting members. Anyone interested should contact wrightingtonhospitalradio@hotmail.com

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