Hospital Radio Yare
From its humble beginnings in 1977 Hospital Radio Yare is now fully functioning, state of the art radio station broadcasting to hospital patients 24 hours a day 7 days week. Everyone involved with Hospital Radio Yare still keeps its founder’s original vision alive; the purpose of the radio in its purest form is to make patients stay at the hospital a little less stressful.
Today, the studio broadcasts national and international news every hour on the hour, logs all broadcasts, and makes sure every second is full of music or entertainment. It was started by Graham Gooda and a handful of dedicated individuals playing their own records over a telephone line connection that broadcasted solely to Gt. Yarmouth General and Gorleston Cottage Hospitals.
In 2006, Hospital Radio Yare linked with Archant, the newspaper publisher in the area. A senior journalist from the Archant now broadcasts a 2-hour show every Friday with guests interviewed live on air.
Whether you are a senior journalist or just someone wanting to give back to the community, Hospital Radio Yare welcomes all volunteers. That is because the radio station is 100% volunteer run! The station itself it located in the Northgate hospital and is run by a volunteer group of officers, but needs about 60 volunteers to carry out all of the day-to-day tasks. Volunteers do not have to have any previous experience in a radio station to join; the hospital always needs help as well.
Many volunteers help just by visiting patients; having someone to talk to when no other visitors come is an amazing service to the community which Hospital Radio Yare volunteers help fulfil. Broadcasting skills can be taught to volunteers after a 12-week training period if they wish.
Hospital Radio Yare has been successful for the past 44 years and plans on continuing its great work for another 44 years and beyond. The radio currently broadcasts especially for the Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trusts (PCT), but also broadcasts to James Paget on 1350 kHz Mw and to Lowestoft and Northgate hospitals via bedside headset.
Created 4th April 2012. Updated 2021
Hospital Radio Yare benefits from Attend membership, which includes comprehensive charity insurance cover. For more information, or to join, please click here.
