TEAM JOIN TOGETHER TO KEEP HOSPITAL RADIO BEDFORD ON THE AIR WAVES

• From the youngest to the oldest member, the whole team work together to set up home studios around Bedford
• New programming introduced to provide community information 7pm-9pm each weekday – The HRB CSi (Community Service Information)
• 24hour schedule available with many programmes recorded on the day or broadcast live
• Hospital Radio Bedford is there to support the entire community now and into the future

Hospital Radio Bedford took the decision to lock the doors on its studio in the basement of Bedford Hospital’s South Wing to support the NHS it loves and stay at home. ‘This was a really tough decisions’ says Membership Member Ian Griffiths. ‘At a time when it is even more important to support our community it felt like we were abandoning them, despite the fact that we are still able to provide a pre-recorded programme 24 hours a day, we actually needed to do more during this crisis, not less.’

‘Radio is the best media to help with loneliness’, Ian continues ‘and with the entire population isolated we felt it important we continued with as much live and relevant programming as possible.’

The team came together ‘virtually’ to share their collective knowledge and equipment to set up as many home studios as possible. ‘There are now 5 presenters broadcasting from their homes and a further 4 sending in on the day recordings’ says Andy Norbury the Promotions Member and Trustee, who along with Ian spear headed the remote studio initiative. ‘We hope to increase this in the coming weeks and extend our live coverage as we all have a little bit more time on our hands!’

This achievement has only been made possible by the whole team sharing experiences and supporting each other. The stations Training Officer and Trustee Frank Palmer who has been with HRB for 44 years and IT Lead and Trustee Ronnie Stanley (OBE) have provided their wealth of experience to enable the radical change to operations. The youngest member of the HRB team Dan Kingston was one of the first presenters to take the helm of the new CSI broadcast, meaning this initiative has truly spanned the full age range of the 28 strong membership team.

Recent studies have shown that music has significant health benefits.

• Listening to music you like releases dopamine which makes you feel happier
• Music enhances exercise performance
• Music lowers stress levels by reducing the hormone cortisol in your body and singing along helps even more!
• An American study showed students listening to relaxing music before bed slept significantly better
• Soothing music helps you to relax and reduces anxiety
• Music therapy trials are taking place to help reduce patient’s pain
• Music helps dementia patients by stimulating neuropathways and memories
• Research in Finland has shown that patients who listened to music had significantly improved recovery of cognitive functions after a stroke

‘Radio broadcasters can play a major role in replacing isolation with socialization’ – Kelly Orchard

https://www.rbr.com/how-radio-can-improve-mental-health/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3WM314mvNKTv8zfSJr5jjMw/6-things-music-could-do-for-your-mind

https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinion/the-power-of-sound-how-listening-to-the-radio-can-help-combat-loneliness

Edwyn Collins film Music is my life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCrlWIxVCSc

Hospital Radio Bedford, broadcasting under the umbrella of Bedfordshire Health Radio (BHR) charity, aims to be the number 1 radio station for health and wellbeing in the local Bedfordshire area and beyond. It is a registered charity which has a home in the basement of Bedford Hospital South Wing. Staffed by 28 volunteers it broadcasts a mix of live and pre-recorded programmes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With community at its heart, the station programme offering covers a vast range of music genres and lifestyle content. As a public service, HRB also covers significant local events such as the Remembrance Day service on the embankment. HRB is proud to be part of Bedford Hospital’s patient services and be an active part of the community.

Future aspirations for BHR are to broaden its broadcast range into DAB.

If there are any budding presenters out there the station is always on the lookout for more volunteers. As well as presenters, HRB is looking for production members and administration help. With the wealth of experience HRB has with its current volunteers, full training is given to new recruits. Contact members@hospitalradiobedford.org.uk

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Contact:

www.hospitalradiobedford.org.uk

promotions@hospitalradiobedford.org.uk