The Champion l Wednesday 14 August 2019
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Radio station marks ELECTRIC REMOTE CONTROLLED INSULATED GARAGE DOORS 40 years of making waves at hospital! • Full advice and consultation • Independent and LOCAL • Efficient and professional • High quality with a wide range of colours
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Report by Kenny Parker A RADIO station serving both Ormskirk and Southport Hospitals has celebrated 40 years since first taking to the airwaves. The volunteer run station, which counts impressionist Jon Culshaw and Radio Lancashire’s Alan Beswick among its former presenters, first broadcast to the patients of Ormskirk District Hospital on August 6 1979 as Radio Ormskirk General. Now in its ruby anniversary year it is broadcasting to both Ormskirk and Southport hospital sites and is named Hospital Radio Heartbeat. Station manager Bill Jarvis said: “It is and continues to be an absolute pleasure to be the current station manager during the celebrations. I am proud of all the effort from our voluteers and would like to thank all members, past and present, for all the hard work they have put in over the last 40 years to make the station what it is today. “Also, we would like to give a special thanks to the trust for the support they have given us over the years, which includes providing the facilities to house our studio.” Back when presenter and founder Rob Turner played the first vinyl record, Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello, the station was very different to how it is today. There were no computers and the station only broadcast two hours a night. These days, the station broad-
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Volunteers at Radio Heartbeat celebrate its 40th anniversary.
casts 24 hours a day to patients via a sophisticated computer system from its studio complex in Ormskirk Hospital. However, despite all the changes over the last 40 years, its purpose has remained the same and that is to provide free entertainment, music and chat to cheer up the patients free of charge. Over the years the station has seen fires, floods and technical problems but is still broadcasting four decades later with a strong volunteer and listener base. The station is run by an army of volunteers and some famous past names include Alan Beswick who went on to work at Radio Lancashire and the best known former member and star of Dead Ringers, impressionist Jon Culshaw. As well as playing music, the radio station also provides spe-
cialist programmes aimed at the dementia patients as well as drama, comedy and documentary features. Members of the radio station can also be seen out and about at local events recording interviews and making features to be played to the patients of the trust. Radio Heartbeat is a registered charity, independent from Southport and Ormskrik Hospital NHS Trust, that raises funds via music roadshows and donations. Bill added: “It has been an interesting 40 years and we are looking forward to many more happy years of hospital broadcasting to come'. Anyone who wishes to find out more about Radio Heartbeat can visit their Facebook page, facebook.com/hospitalradioheartbeat or send an email to sandoradio@gmail.com
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