Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, visited Basildon Hospital Radio on Sunday 14 May to highlight the superb entertainment that volunteer radio hosts provide to patients and to take a stab at DJing.
Basildon Hospital Radio, or BHR87.7, is a registered charity that supplies entertainment, information and news that is free of charge to the patients of Basildon Hospital and the wider community. On Stephen’s latest visit to BHR87.7, he helped present a live request show and caught up with the some of the hosts: Jacqui James, Alan Newman, Angie McGlashon, Christine Lee and Steve King.
In total, there are over 25 volunteer presenters at the station who cover a range of topics and music genres. The radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day, throughout the year, with live shows and an automated service which plays a continuous mixture of news, features and request show favourites. Patients can request a song by emailing [email protected] or calling 01268282828. People interested in volunteering at the station as presenters or collectors can email [email protected].
BHR87.7 has no paid employees and all administration costs are paid by volunteers through a membership subscription. This means that the upkeep of the radio service is funded entirely by the generosity of the public and local businesses.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “A big thank you to Basildon Hospital Radio for inviting me back to host a show at the weekend and for helping me out with the DJ deck. Their volunteer presenters provide first-rate entertainment to patients and are the friendliest of people.”
