HELPING to make life more pleasant and providing comfort for hospital patients is the aim of Radio Haslar, manned entirely by volunteers.
Peter Turnbull, publicity manager for the station, pictured above with president Margaret Smith, gave an interesting talk on daily life at the broadcaster launched in March 1993.
The service was originally set up to serve Haslar Hospital then in 1996 it was expanded to cover Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
Although Haslar Hospital was closed in 2009 the station continues to thrive and in March this year their new studio opened in Bury House at Thorngate Halls in Gosport.
“It’s still at the proposal stage but the long-term aim is to provide a service for the new Coldeast Community Hospital at Fareham,” said Mr Turnbull.
He explained that as well as broadcasting a variety of programmes for hospital patients and staff they supported other community groups.
“Media studies students at St Vincent College plan to use the new studio to produce programmes,” he said.
And schools and colleges in Gosport and Fareham were able to send students to them for work experience.
It costs around £8,000 a year to run the radio station so they held regular fundraising events and applied for grants where possible.
Thanking him for his talk Rosemary Bell handed Mr Turnbull a cheque for £50 from charity funds raised during president Margaret’s year of office.