19th February 2022 was a special day for Torbay Hospital Radio.
45th anniversary
We celebrated 45 years of our charity. A fantastic number of years of dedication and impact to the patients, staff and local community who have tuned in over the years. And what better way to celebrate than with cake. The cake was baked by one of their wonderful Trustees, Steph.
Launch of FM
We launched 95.9 FM for the staff and patients and nearby residents to listen to – this included a full day of live shows to entertain the listeners, packed full of requests, dedications and great hits and chat. Jordan, our weekend breakfast host kicked off with the number one from 45 years ago, Leo Sayer, and then the launch day’s number one, We Don’t talk about Bruno from the Disney film Encanto – a film that has been a global success. The perfect way to kickstart the launch of FM.
So don’t forget, if you work or are staying in Torbay Hospital Radio, in addition to our website, you can also tune in via 95.9 FM.
Co-Op stores
In addition to the live shows, we also had volunteers at two of the local Co-Op stores (Shiphay and Kingskerswell) playing the shows, sharing info about the charity, collecting donations and more. Unfortunately, thanks to the dregs of Storm Eunice, the team at the Kingskerswell Co-Op had to close down their outside stall and migrate to the warmer and dryer one at Shiphay that was inside.
Co-Op members can support Torbay Hospital Radio by choosing us as your chosen charity. Every time you shop at a Co-Op, the supermarket will donate to us. Find out more here. We’ve already raised £230!
HBA Award nominations
Celebrations are also in order as a number of the presenters and the charity as a whole has been nominated for a few of the HBA Awards.
Best Newcomer:
- Adam Parsons – Torbay Hospital Radio
- James McKenzie-Thorpe – Torbay Hospital Radio
- Ollie Jenks – Torbay Hospital Radio
- Phil Nixon – Torbay Hospital Radio
- Richard Levesley – Torbay Hospital Radio
Female presenter:
- Jo Hobbis – Torbay Hospital Radio
Male Presenter:
Geoff Webb – Torbay Hospital Radio
Station of the Year
Torbay Hospital Radio is one of the charities nominated for Station of the Year.
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“Considering everything that has been going on over the last few years, I am really proud of what the charity has achieved by the continued dedication of the volunteers and the launch of FM which is a huge milestone for the charity. Something we have been working on for some time. It has also been great that we can finally go out into the community again and speak to people about our charity and what we do. And it is amazing to see that so many of our team have been nominated for HBA awards. Fingers crossed we win!” said Leanne Bevan, Secretary of Torbay Hospital Radio.
What’s next?
The launch was a success and Torbay Hospital Radio is not stopping there. Now that FM is live, radios are being purchased for the day rooms on the wards. Plus, the team are fundraising to purchase mini FM radios so that patients who don’t have a smartphone can tune into the shows. Plus, there are many other activities on the roadmap including outside broadcasts in the community, a 24-hour broadcast in July with Jonnie, fundraisers and much more.