Why volunteer? “It has enhanced my life immeasurably.”

Volunteers aged from 17 to 70+ give up their time to visit patients in the wards at the Royal United Hospital and to broadcast on Bath Hospital Radio.

During Volunteers’ Week which runs until 12 June, Bath Hospital Radio asked one of its volunteers about their experience at the radio station.

Patricia, who broadcasts every Tuesday night, told us why she got involved:

“Having completely renovated my Victorian townhouse and had the loft converted, I finally found myself with a little spare time. I was going to life drawing classes, but I remembered that way back when I was singing with a small village Gilbert & Sullivan Society, I had come across and raised funds for Bath Hospital Radio.

“Hmm, being a DJ, eh? The idea appealed. Better still, as a retired nurse I would be meeting up with patients again, but for fun rather than ‘ministrations’!

“So I looked it up online and duly wrote stating my desire to join. Amazingly, given my great age, (I was then 73) after a relaxed and friendly interview in a café with the chairman and the secretary, I was IN!

“And I absolutely love it! It has enhanced my life immeasurably.”

“Yes, I meet patients and extract musical requests from them, but I also have to learn about music, presenting programmes I have devised which I hope will be pleasurable and relaxing, and a little informative.

“I work on Tuesday with three colleagues, and am now happy being left alone with all the ‘teching’. And that is another story!

“Initially confronted with “the desk”, microphones, sliders, faders, news slots, computer databases, etc, it was rather like learning to drive two cars at once, blindfolded. But goodness, it’s so exhilarating once you’ve got the hang of it, which one does.

“It’s one of the best way of keeping old age at bay that I can think of, exercising my brain every Tuesday.”

If you are interested in joining Patricia and the team at Bath Hospital Radio as a volunteer, get in touch today!