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Date: 6 August 2005 Radio Warneford Update Download a PDF version of this news release (size 59Kb). Radio Warneford has had a busy year so far with over a dozen new recruits and tremendous support from local charities. March 25th saw a visit from twenty Harbury Beavers as part of their Community Awareness project. They received a tour of the studios including our vinyl record collection in the library which, in the age of CDs and iPods, they found quite interesting if not somehow confusing as to how it all works! They also recorded a 'get well' message for the patients and went home happy and full of Easter Eggs. April 2nd to April 10th was Hospital Broadcasting Week, a national event devoted to promoting hospital radio and its services. On Friday 8th April, Radio Warneford held an Open Evening and invited local charities who support us to come and have a look around the studio and learn a little about us. With studio looking quite slick, and juice and water on offer, the first to arrive were Richard and Mary Ashley from the Rotary Club, Warwick. They very much want us to go and present a talk on the history of our organisation to their members and we are doing so later this year. They were closely followed by Roy Joiner, Chairman, and Miriam Relins, a member of the Warwick Hospital's League of Friends. It was particularly poignant that Roy came along to support us as only several hours earlier the League of Friends office been broken into and their computers stolen. We, of course, offered our sympathy and help in any way we could. Before leaving Roy asked if there was anything specific we needed as they could help at the moment. We discussed the possibility of them funding a new, much needed, colour printer/scanner/copier for the office computer - and sure enough that's what we now have sitting in our studio offices! Then came Carol Jevons and Christina Clifford from the Kenilworth Soroptomists who seemed very impressed with our service and studios. They wish us to invite them along for an interview so they can talk about their organisation, for which we will receive a small donation. Paul Brown joined us from the Warwick Lions and offered us a free stall at this year's Warwick Carnival. Lastly Richard Ashley and Brian Heiber from the Warwick Round Table came by. Brian later helped us by supplying a refurbished computer, keyboard and screen to go with our new printer. We took all our visitors into Studio Two to talk about our service and show them the technical side, we then showed them the library. As well as discussing how we go about things, we talked at length about what we need to keep us financially afloat. We also told all our visitors that one of the reasons for the Open Evening was to invite them to work more closely with us and keep us regularly informed about what they are doing, events etc., so that we can broadcast the information to patients. Everyone went away with Radio Warneford literature and the famed Radio Warneford mug and all felt it was a worthwhile evening. On top of this we had substantial newspaper coverage in the Warwick Gazette, Observer and the Leamington Courier and, as a result of this, we had contact from three potential new members! This is definitely an event we should perhaps hold during each National Hospital Broadcasting Week. In May we finally went onto the new Premier Patient Entertainment System meaning that after 30 odd years we can now be listened to in glorious, digital stereo. We are now working with them to upload some of our website pages onto the system so the patients are more informed. In June we introduced our Featured Artist section to accompany of CD of the Month. This is in an effort to show both the patients and members the wonders of our huge record library, which just about covers every genre of music. We started off with Blues King, Robert Johnson. All members and teams will have a choice to nominate further Featured Artists. Saturday July 25th was the big night of the year for Radio Warneford, our Annual Awards and Quiz Night at the Kenilworth Cricket Club. It's the social event of the year and we had over ninety people turn up. We presented over thirty awards to our members covering broadcasting, production, long service and best newcomer categories. We were delighted to welcome June Snowden, the President of the Hospital Broadcasting Association, and Councillor Leahey, Deputy Mayor of Leamington Spa, to present the awards. This year's winner of the Graeme Meanley Challenge Shield for the Quiz was a team from Warwick Hospital's Medical Records Department. Our next event is our Grand Raffle Draw at the Leamington Farmers Market on August 27th, and if you have ever thought of doing either hospital radio or volunteer work, why not come and see us in action! See you there. Ley Bricknell Issued by Andy Dowell, Communications Manager
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