Helping kids smile

By Timmi Aplin-Barrett Images by Krystle Photography

For many children, having to go to hospital can be terrifying. It’s often an overwhelming, confusing and anxiety filled experience that’s exhausting for both the child and their loved ones. I met with volunteer organisation, Radio Lollipop, who are working hard to make that time a bit easier.

Radio Lollipop is an international group of people passionate about bringing smiles to children’s faces in hospital. You may have heard of them – if you’ve ever visited the children’s wards in Waipapa Christchurch Hospital, I’m sure you’ve come across them.

It’s hard to miss the sheer joy and excitement that pours out of the Matatiki Hub when Radio Lollipop is there.

Through glass doors, you can find children playing, volunteers laughing and a radio station in full swing. There’s painting, bubbles, music, giggles, games, even a fish tank, and – best of all – a sense that everyone’s forgotten where they are.

I spoke with the Christchurch Radio Lollipop Chairperson, Caitlin Martin, who’s been with the organisation almost since it began in the city, 10 years ago.

Caitlin was part of the second intake of volunteers only a few months after Radio Lollipop arrived in Christchurch. She explains how Radio Lollipop was born.

Radio Lollipop started as a project aimed at connecting the patients and staff at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children in Carshalton, Surrey. The idea was to establish an internal radio service within the hospital, fostering a sense of community in Europe’s largest children’s hospital – which was initially constructed as an isolation facility.

Launched on-air on the 5th of May, 1979, the project aimed to create a community atmosphere and provide a sense of belonging, connection and engagement for the hundreds of patients at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children.

Radio Lollipop founder, Hedley Finn, says Radio Lollipop’s mission is to give young patients a voice and a choice during their stay, allowing them to request their favourite songs, win prizes and even present a show and hear their own voices on the radio.

Volunteers play a crucial role in Radio Lollipop, visiting the children at their bedside and delivering arts, crafts, games and prizes all linked to the radio shows, creating a unique sense of child-led fun to support an environment conducive to healing and recovery.

“Radio Lollipop broadcasts live between 6pm and 8pm here in Christchurch from Monday to Thursday. It’s a great way to have children interact,” says Caitlin.

“Basically, it means that if children can’t get up out of their beds and come to the Matatiki Hub, they can still interact with us and be a part of Radio Lollipop through the radio.”

Christchurch’s Radio Lollipop hasn’t always been based in the wonderful Matatiki Hub. In fact, it had very humble beginnings. Caitlin explains how much Radio Lollipop Christchurch has grown and changed.

“It’s come a long way in 10 years from out of a car boot. It was a basket with a few games and some paper. Then we graduated to a campervan that had our own radio studio inside of it.

“We were in there for quite a number of years while we were waiting on a permanent space in the hospital. Now, in the Waipapa Christchurch Hospital, we’re in our own purpose-built studio and there for everyone to see.”

We are all volunteers. Every part of Radio Lollipop is a volunteer part. We do have leaders, nightly leaders who organise each night as well as the management team who do things like organising and creating the crafts and the radio as well as fundraising.

While the radio element of Radio Lollipop is, of course, a huge part of the organisation, what cannot be overlooked is the play element.

Volunteers go into children’s wards and provide fun and entertainment in the form of games, crafts and much more. It doesn’t matter if the child can’t get out of bed or if they don’t want to get too energetic, there’s something for everyone and the team of volunteers are able to adapt anything to be fun.

For example, some children aren’t able to have any foreign items in their rooms so volunteers get crafty. Rubber gloves become balloons and masks can become miniature hammocks.

“That’s the great thing about Radio Lollipop – it doesn’t matter the age, the ability – the children aren’t limited in what they can do. I think it’s that stepping back and realising that play isn’t limited.

“You can get creative and switch things up so that everyone can take part. Which is the most amazing thing because sometimes you think, ‘oh no, they’re only two, what can we do with them?’ But throw on a song and get some bubbles, you’ve made that child’s night.”

Caitlin speaks with such fondness in her tone that you can tell each of these interactions are beautiful for the volunteers. Sometimes, she says, it’s the simplest things that can cheer someone up.

From the moment a volunteer steps into the room with a big red trolley of toys, crafts and fun, the children are able to shed the worry and fear of the day and simply do what every kid wants to do – be a kid.

The children aren’t the only ones who benefit from the tireless work of the Radio Lollipop volunteers. Caitlin says that parents, caregivers, friends and family often find a moment of solace during these visits.

“Obviously, we’re focused on the children but actually, what we do find, is it gives those parents and those family members a chance to take a moment for themselves,” Caitlin explains.

“Often what we find is that we walk in, ask if the children want a visit and they say yes, and we get into a game and then the parents says they’re just going to have a coffee or take a phone call or have a shower, and it just gives them that moment to step away without feeling like they’re leaving their child because we’re with them.”

A Radio Lollipop night begins at 5:30pm when the volunteers gather in the Matatiki Hub to prepare the radio show, gather names of children who’d like a visit and figure out what crafts and toys to take to the wards.

A theme is always part of a night – everything from animals to Disney, the crafts, music and radio show content are based around the theme. At 6pm, the night really kicks off with the radio station going live.

From there, there’s music, jokes, fun facts, games and laughter. In the studio, children can watch the volunteers on the radio, choose music and even go on air. In the rooms, the show comes through the televisions and children can call in to request a song, tell a joke or do a shoutout for someone they know. At 8pm, after two hours of fun, the volunteers return to the hub, the children disperse and the evening is discussed. It’s an incredibly family-like atmosphere and everyone is happy to be there.

“We are all volunteers. Every part of Radio Lollipop is a volunteer part. We do have leaders, nightly leaders who organise each night as well as the management team who do things like organising and creating the crafts and the radio as well as fundraising,” Caitlin says.

“That’s it, we rely on 100 percent fundraising. Everything comes from fundraising and donations. There’s no government funding or anything like that.”

Radio Lollipop is actively looking for new volunteers too. “We have a wide range of volunteers.

“You do have to be 18 and over but we have a huge range of people. We’ve got university students, teachers, nurses, medical students, mums and dads and so much more.

“You can do anything for your day job – and if you want to come along and have some fun with us at Radio Lollipop, it doesn’t matter what you do.”

It’s been 10 years since Radio Lollipop Christchurch began their work of bringing smiles to children’s faces and Caitlin says she wants to acknowledge, not only how far they’ve come in the last 10 years, but everybody that’s been a part of that 10 years – right back to the first chairperson, to the past and present volunteers, hospital staff and all those who have donated to the organisation. Caitlin says the hospital staff helped Radio Lollipop get their spot in Waipapa Christchurch Hospital.

“The nursing directors, nurses and hospital staff have been instrumental in our setup and involvement in the hospital. We couldn’t do what we do without their support and we are so thankful for that.” CT