Radio Frimley Park – Music, the best medicine

Radio Frimley Park was founded 44 years ago, the brainchild of Gordon Cox, and was originally known as “Frimley Park Broadcasting Service”. Since the early days, Radio Frimley Park has been a feature in the community with its “outside broadcasts”, helping to raise funds for the station and awareness of its activities outside the hospital.

The man who ensures it remains that way today is Media Manager Frank Chambers who has been volunteering at the radio since 1991. A decision to get involved came off the back of Frank witnessing “Radio Frimley Park’s then Outside Events Team at my sons’ primary school, providing Public Address services, and thought it looked quite interesting”. Almost thirty years on and Frank is integral to the charity’s operation as a Trustee and a Media Manager a role he enjoys which involves the opportunity to promote the station’s activities within the hospital and the area it serves.

 

Why do you think a radio station within the hospital is so important?

That’s an interesting question, particularly when patients have so much choice at their fingertips, and also via the bedside “pods” providing television, radio and phone services. However, I think it’s still true today, as it has been since we started in 1976, that because we are based in the hospital, we can provide a bespoke service to our primary audience – the in-patients and staff – which no other station can.

 

Desert Island Discs time, if you could pick three singles to take with you on a desert Island?

Goodness me… where do you start? Singles, you say? That rules out complete classical works, then? I’ve only ever bought one single in my entire life, and that was to give as a present to someone else!

Perhaps Livin’ in the UK from Shakatak, Good Vibrations from the Beach Boys, and Elton John’s Honky Cat.

 

You have an impressive range of presenters and a variety of shows on offer throughout the week on the station; it seems like a fun station to be a part of from the outside looking in, is that right?

Well, we think so! We have a wide range of types of programme, hosted by a wide range of enthusiastic volunteers of all ages. Some of our output is automated, as with many professional stations you can listen to, and we believe we have high production standards.

 

If someone is reading this and wanting to get involved in radio why is volunteering at Radio Frimley Park a brilliant opportunity?

It enables folk to get involved, and particularly to “give something back”. Many of our applicants mention this when we interview them. To be fair, I would say that we are more interested in what people can do for the patients of the hospital, than in what they think it will do for them or their media aspirations. Sadly, at the time of writing, due to coronavirus, we are not actually taking any new recruits, but don’t let that put anyone off applying, as we can add you to the waiting list.

 

Why is Frimley a nice community to be a part of? It’s a terrifically friendly place, isn’t it?

Well, it is. A quick glance through this publication gives you a flavour of many of the things that are going on in Frimley. Radio Frimley Park serves “a community within the community” at the hospital, and many of our listeners are unwell. This distinguishes us from mainstream broadcasters, most of whose listeners aren’t poorly. It has been shown that music does in general give people a bit of a lift – make them feel better about themselves – and it’s not an exaggeration to say that we can often actually aid people’s recovery – hence our strapline “Music, the best medicine”.

 

Anything else at all you would like to add, please feel free?

Very excited to share with you that very, very recently, Frimley Health Foundation Trust has invited us to extend our programming to their other two hospitals, at Heatherwood in Ascot, and also Wexham Park in Slough. This is only just getting off the ground currently, but will extend our reach quite significantly.

 

For more info and to get involved with the community asset tune in or visit the website, follow them on Facebook @radiofrimleypark, Twitter @radiofrimley or check them out on YouTube.

 

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