Stories and snippets of information taken from the staff newsletter and from behind the scenes.
A look back at 2007 at Radio Heatherwood and all the events of the year.
The station supports Sunningdale carnival and the Durning library and investigates the use of texting by patients and relatives.
The hospital starts closing wards and the request collecting suffers.
The staff bulletin board is re-vamped this month offering presenters the option to choose their own colour.
Jan 7th, I have today posted a new web page which shows visitors to the web site how they can listen into radio Heatherwood be it on an “AM” radio or via the bed head terminal.
Jan 7th Bed head system is down, no services.
In September last year I was informed by the Chairman of the league the Sunningdale carnival were looking for charities to support with the funds they raise.
I wrote to them explaining that during the summer months the studio's can be unbearable for our presenters because of the heat. They have just replied and have donated £399.00 for a new air conditioner which we will be sited in studio 1.
The reception roof leaks again causing minor damage.
This month, a hard drive failure for the studio 1 computer, causing a shutdown of the studio.
Feb 16th, The league and radio web sites and bulletin boards are moved to new hosting company IX web hosting, after 123 offer poor support and want to charge for extra services.
Liners are created by the broadcast teams for the new Durning Library in Ascot. 42 versions are created.
February, The new air cooler paid for by the carnival committee is added to the engineering room and the old one is placed in studio 1.
Mar 3rd, The league's web site and the radio have now got the option for visitors to make on-line donations to the league. This is administered by the charities aid foundation and it doesn't matter where in the world people are, they can use their credit card and make a donation.
A new version of the presenters live assist software, “Wavecart ” is purchased and installed this month.
Sunningdale Carnival,Dave and PJ up the studio Wednesday (18.04.07) to do our PR bit, photo's etc and an article instigated by the carnival committee, who donated the money for the air cooler.
Promotion of the carnival is broadcast throughout April.
In April a new maintenance service is carried out on the inductive loop am service.
Text Service for Radio
In April station engineer starts preliminary work of providing a method to receive text's from patients or relatives whilst the studio's are on air.
Ward 8 Refurbishment
May 29th, Whilst visiting out-patients today there is a display board in the reception of the refurbishment of ward 8. No timescale on when it will be completed. One would assume the patients in ward 5 will no doubt be moving back there once it's completed.
Jun 10th, The team pages for each night have been modified on the web site. Visitors to the pages can now play the trailers for your nights which contain your voices. Our presenters can now be heard worldwide on the internet.
Jun 23rd Bed head system, is down no services.
Jun 30th, Unsung heroes our wonderful staff on ward1G who make requests with us every Saturday have nominated the volunteers of radio Heatherwood for the unsung heroes award of the trust.
We have been turned down as we apparently don't work for the trust and are not eligible.
2007 was a very busy year for the station management and as the year unfolded there was much to do and organise
For further information about this year:- Follow the links
£300 Donation
Jul 7th, A couple of weeks ago Ian Butcher asked me to write a letter to his wife's company who were looking at donating to a local charity. The letter to the company was to say we would spend the money on the flat screen monitors for the studios.
In the coming weeks I will be pursuing this change.
Home Sweet Home
Jul 16th, Well it is unless it is classed as a temporary home. Since the beginning of the year I have been caught up with negotiating our tenancy for the next ten years. It has now transpired that we are to be moved in the future as the Trust wish to remove all temporary buildings from the site. First and foremost they have stated that they support Radio Heatherwood and the work it carries out without question and wish to see that we are re-homed in the future in a more suitable and fitting building.
I have come along way to get to this point and there will be a lot more distance to go in the future, I'm not going to enter into the finer details at this time, other than to say that last time, from the point of being told it took around 6 years before it really got under way, it could be as early as next year but it will depend on other factors.
Maternity Ward Closure
The trust announce the reduction in it's Maternity & Gynaecology services.
August The monitors in both studio's are replaced with flat screen monitors which immediately lowers the temperature in the rooms.
Ward 16 Closed By End of Year
Oct 2nd, At the league meeting last night it was confirmed ward 16 will be closed by the end of the year. patients Will be absorbed in to ward 10. The buildings will then be taken down. This is in line with the trust policy not to use temporary buildings.
Ward 5 Closed Ward 8 Open
Sep 29th, It would appear that ward 5 is now closed and the patients are back on ward 8.
Back to TopIn October the new application form is created on the web site where new volunteers can now fill in the entire form electronically including the new trust requirements. Potential recruits can also down load the form.
5 Year Lease
Oct 2nd, Discussions with the trusts solicitors has now been concluded and the radio station has a new five year lease. As part of this lease there is a 3 month notice to quit. The trust revised it's tenancy policies because of incidents with other groups in the past. Our short lease is also a reflection of the trust policy that temporary buildings should be removed where possible. Sad to say our building is only temporary.
What it does mean is at some point the radio station will have to move at the request of the trust. That could be in 1 year 3 years or even ten years as and when they could find us alternative rooms in a permanent building.
Oct 12th, I am currently reviewing the information on the bulletin board and changing to allow our newcomers to use the board with ease. I have changed the help section and information for new trainee's will be improved. For those of us who have been here since the start of the board we have grown with it's development.The newcomers will be starting from scratch so hopefully the help files will make life easier.
Victoria Hall Fund
Nov 18th, The Victoria hall fund as one of our long term sponsors has been supporting the radio for Twenty Years, In October I wrote to them and they once again have chipped in with a cheque for £458 for next years broadcast/PPL licence.
A local man starts a petition to save heatherwood and generates more uncertainty for the hospital.
At the end of the year a fundraising web shop is set up to support the work of the league and radio.
Staff Joining This Year 2 Staff Leaving 6
Just some extra's we found:-
Email Requests
Subject: I would like to send a message to My Friend/Relative in Heatherwood
Please say hello to Francis Halshaw in Ward 16 from the Spencer Swim Team Francis was with 76 members of our team for a swim training week in Lanzarote, we all wish him well
his favourite song is Dean Martin's “Little Old Wine Drinker Me” - please try & play it for him
Many thanks Brian Kiley
The ever changing staff at the station required us to keep advertising for more volunteers. As the requirements changed so did the information leaflets.
This base leaflet from October 2007 shows a full colour version as designed.
When printed and distributed, this would be produced as black on a blue shaded paper.
2007 The Story Continues!
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