Radio Addenbrookes - What's it all about, Alfie?

The following is taken from the website of Radio Addenbrooke's (I'm a volunteer presenter and webmaster by the way). Rather than me tell you what we do, the following text is more than adequate.

Radio Addenbrooke's is a hospital radio station that broadcasts exclusively to the patients of Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. Programmes are broadcast every evening during the week, and at various times over the weekend. Radio Addenbrooke's is part of Addenbrooke's Voluntary Services.

Most shows are music-based, but we also like to involve patients as much as possible through quizzes, interviews, etc. All shows are put together with the patients'' tastes in mind. Many shows are request shows, where the patients choose the music that we play. This results in a wide range of music probably more varied than the selection any commercial station plays. The most popular artists/composers include Mozart, ABBA, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Daniel O''Donnell and Robbie Williams.

Shows are broadcast exclusively on the internal Patientline system, which most patients have by their bed. The radio service is free, and you will find us on Channel 1. Patients can contact us free of charge by dialing *3181 from their bedside Patientline phone. We visit several wards each day to collect requests. However, due to the size of the hospital, we are only able to visit each ward once a week on average.

An important part of our work is to spend time with patients. A friendly chat is a welcome break for the patient and a rewarding and interesting experience for the volunteer. It is also the way that we collect most of our requests and ensure we have a sizeable audience! In addition most volunteers are involved in various aspects of preparing and presenting shows, and maintaining the studio and its equipment."