newsletter Great Ormond Street and Evelina Children’s Hospitals
New Year’s Day Parade
Radio Lollipop made a triumphant return to the London New Year’s Day Parade on Kingsley Hamilton’s original red Routemaster bus, raising over £1000! Braving the cold with driver Kingsley, was a crew including Hyper Hayley, Dom’ and pals, Lara, Caroline and her dad! After climbing aboard at 12 noon in Green Park, they joined over 100 acts, from cheerleaders to motorbike stunt riders and marching bands, all on their way to London’s Westminster. This year’s parade was broadcast by 550 TV stations across the world - including China, USA and Australia. The BBC also streamed live coverage on the internet and Radio Lollipop was the centre of attention, says Kingsley:
Hello! Welcome to the first Radio Lollipop newsletter of 2010. It’s packed full of juicy news stories and insider info on what’s in store for the coming months. We’ve got all the highlights of your Christmas and New Year celebrations. There’s also details of the next Annual General Meeting and how you can decide who sits on your management committee. Also, this year is Radio Lollipop’s 30th birthday! Stations everywhere will join the party and we’ve got the scoop on the fantastic events being planned.
“The bus had an excellent sound system so I was getting the crowd to dance and sing ‘hey baby’ with their arms in the air! My commentary was so loud, one TV presenter even joked that Radio Lollipop was taking over!” Well done to everyone who turned up and special thanks go to Kingsley, for donating his bus and sound systems for the day. Plans are already being hatched for an all singing, all dancing, volunteer troupe next year so sign up for your 15 minutes of fame now! To star next year - contact: kingsleyhamilton@hotmail.com. See footage of the parade on - You Tube: ‘Radio Lollipop London Parade’.
Join the management team! For all volunteers the next Radio Lollipop Annual General Meeting is a compulsory date for the diary. Besides being an excuse for everyone to come together and find out what’s going on, it’s also your chance to bag a management team position. All the management team posts are up for election so if you fancy taking on the challenge, this is your chance. Look out for an email with more details including the AGM date, time and place.
Jobs up for grabs: • • • • • • • • •
Chairman Secretary Treasurer Programme Co-ordinator Play Co-ordinator Volunteer Co-ordinator Press & PR, Other Fundraising Co-ordinator Chief Engineer
Celebs hit Christmas parties Popstars JLS and actor, Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spiderwick Chronicles) joined presenters Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, at the GOSH and Evelina Christmas parties last December. The big hearted celebrities partied with over 1000 patients, their families and volunteers including Hedley Finn, our Chairman and President, who made a surprise appearance at Evelina hospital. Boy band, JLS, happily signed autographs at Evelina, before giving an interview to Super Steve. They also performed hit single ‘Everybody in Love’ for a packed atrium of excited kids. Over in the west end, Tess, Vernon and actor, Freddie, were joined by members of the Red Arrows aerobatic team, Oliver! the musical, Ghostbusters, Storm Troopers, giant pandas and of course, Santa! Hollywood star, and Radio Lollipop veteran, Freddie took five minutes out to tell us: “It’s been a real pleasure getting to know some of the children and volunteers here today and I really hope to meet more of you soon.” Radio Lollipop lent massive support with over 20 of you lovely lot turning out for the Christmas capers. Volunteers provided music (thanks Apeman!), plenty of entertainment and even managed to persuade some special celeb’ guests visit the GOSH and Evelina studios soon!
Santa’s special helpers! Spending Christmas day in hospital was more fun for the children of Great Ormond Street, thanks to 15 merry volunteers. Led by Juan, who recruited his mum and dad for the day too, the group made ward visits and hosted a special Radio Lollipop broadcast. Juan says: “Thanks to all who made an amazing effort on the day including Paul Fitzpatrick, who was a ward visitor and taxi driver!”
Tuned In... With a network of over 100 volunteers, it’s hard to meet everyone. So whether you’re a Magic Monday, Whacky Wednesday, Super Sunday or a Thursday person, it’s time to tune in to your fellow volunteers.
Marina Thomas 1. What’s your Lollipop nickname? Monkey Marina 2. What hospital do you volunteer at and when? GOSH on Mondays 3. How long have you been part of Radio Lollipop? 2 years 4. What’s your favourite Radio Lollipop memory? The GOSH Christmas party in 2009 was spectacular – albeit a little overwhelming for some of the kids. 5. Give us a tip for amusing kids on the wards/radio: Dancing to Amarillo always seems to get them in fits, and play dough is a wonder!
New year, new look The activity centre at GOSH has been renovated and our resource room is getting the same makeover treatment. To top that Radio Lollipop now has sole custody of the resource room, as well as a new cellar space for storage under 25 Great Ormond Street. Fresh play trolleys with full activity boxes and a pair of new hi-tech PA speakers have also arrived recently, all paid for by the GOSH Friends’ fund. The speakers, chosen by Sparky Marky, are
huge and powerful enough to fill a decent sized atrium. Naturally, the management team requests that everyone takes good care of GOSH’ revamped HQ, as Roger the Dodger informed us: “Strictly no dumping in the resource room as everything now has a place - (long corridor for play materials, old photocopier area for management).” There’s also a combination lock on the cellar door at 25 – ask one of the management team for the code to venture down there!
Pirates raid wards It was ‘all aboard me hearties!’ when pirates took over the airwaves at GOSH on 21st December. The mutinous guests sailed in all the way from Globo Balaer, a Mallorca based entertainment company and big supporters of GOSH. Their hilarious high seas craziness was a huge hit with listeners who were only too happy to be shipmates for a couple of hours. They also gave away some extra special prizes very generously donated by Carnegie investments. A big thank you goes to Louise Clemenson and all of her smashing colleagues for making it happen.
Noticeboard
££££ donations revealed! “I will keep you all in suspense about how much we raised in 2009 More manic Mondays until the AGM, so do come along. “A big thank you to all the There will be chocolate coins as b’ unt the cele H n h o J , J D Monday volunteers! We’re always!” promises accounts io 1 er BBC Rad anet Kay looking for ward to getting more Form guru, Roger ‘the Dodger’ Bush. rJ ll and singe in ‘70s) e w o P volunteers on board this year “I’m looking forward to the s’ ‘Silly Game g n a to (s s e and making it a very Magical election of one or more full briti the first cele op. If you re e w Monday for the kids (and us)!” time fund-raising co-ordinators io Lollip t c upport Rad ta s n o c , to help plan events (and Hyper Hayley, Spongebob and e them an help trac c . spending) well into 2011.” Yippy Yusuf on: andrew Andy Young llipop.org iolo young@rad ks helper than Halloween oes to Recruitment record smashed! l mention g After interviews, the latest Radio Lollipop London recruitment cycle has involved 72 volunteer applications. To our knowledge, this is the largest single recruitment cycle undertaken by Radio Lollipop, anywhere in the world. Well done to Kristin Wilson and the volunteer recruitment team!
“Specia huge ary for her Emma O’Le in assistance amount of n e Hallowee th g in is n a org r!” Ball last yea on Kristin Wils
UK cities team up for 30th Birthday broadcast Stations across the UK could join together this Spring, as Radio Lollipop celebrates its 30th birthday. The idea is to do a tour of all Radio Lollipop’s UK stations in a big, bright red, double decker vehicle with a mean sound system... yes, you’ve guessed it: Kingsley’s Routemaster bus! The stations will link up to do a simultaneous broadcast, welcoming the bus upon arrival. Andy Young, Acting Chairman of Radio Lollipop, Birmingham, pioneered the idea with Helen Hudspith, in Newcastle and says: “We want to do something a bit different, which may attract some media interest and hopefully raise money along the way.” Can you help raise cash and publicity for Radio Lollipop’s ‘Big 30th Birthday Broadcast’? Every one of the 9 stations on the UK map needs an event co-ordinator. Dj’s, bus crew, PR spinners and celeb’ UK bookers are also required along with your ideas! Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of one Dundee of the greatest events that Radio Lollipop in the UK ’s greatest events. Contact Andy on: Glasgow Edinburgh andrew.young@radiolollipop.org
Newcastle
Give us the goss! If you’ve got a story for the next newsletter we’d love to know about it! It could be a play/activity idea, story from the wards or a happening broadcast, fundraising event, message for the noticeboard, special announcement, or a date for everyone’s diaries...You make the news, so give us the goss! Contact your Editor, Deborah Hatch on debzhatch@hotmail.com
Manchester Birmingham Bristol Southampton
London