Management Team
Southend Hospital Radio is run entirely by volunteers. The committee is
elected at each year’s AGM and meets regularly to discuss station business
and help shape the station’s future.
The Current Committee
| Role | Committee Member | About |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman & Programme Controller |
 Joe Smith |
Joe joined Southend Hospital Radio in 1997 and is currently Chairman and Programme Controller. As Chairman, he helps lead the charity strategically, working with fellow trustees and volunteers on its direction, governance, finances, partnerships and long-term development. His role also includes helping the station navigate change, supporting its relationship with Southend Hospital and the wider NHS, and ensuring the charity remains sustainable and relevant as it moves through its 50th anniversary year and beyond.
As Programme Controller, Joe is responsible for the overall sound and direction of the station’s output. He oversees the programme schedule, supports presenters in developing their shows, helps shape music and content policy, and works to maintain a consistent, professional and engaging service for patients, staff and listeners. With nearly three decades of experience at Southend Hospital Radio, Joe has presented and produced a wide range of programmes, interviews and special broadcasts. In 2020, he received the Bronze Award for Best Male Presenter at the national Hospital Broadcasting Awards. Outside the station, Joe is an Inflight Manager with British Airways, where he has worked since 2001. His role involves leading cabin crew teams in a safety-critical environment, managing customer experience, supporting and developing colleagues, and responding to the operational challenges and unexpected situations that come with running flights across the airline’s short and long-haul network. Joe also played a leading role in Project Wingman during the Covid-19 pandemic. He established and ran the Project Wingman lounge at Southend Hospital, creating a dedicated space where airline crew volunteers could support NHS staff with somewhere to rest, talk, have a drink and take some time away from the pressures of the frontline. Southend became the third Project Wingman lounge to open in the UK, bringing together volunteers from across the aviation community to support hospital colleagues at an extraordinary time. Joe is also a White Ribbon UK Ambassador, supporting the charity’s work to engage men and boys in ending violence against women and girls. As part of this role, he delivers talks and presentations in schools and workplaces across the South East, encouraging conversations around healthy relationships, respect, allyship and the role men can play in challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours. Joe remains passionate about developing Southend Hospital Radio, supporting its volunteers and strengthening its relationship with the hospital and wider NHS community, while ensuring the station continues to provide companionship, entertainment and a friendly voice for patients, families and staff. |
| Vice-Chairman |  Phil Dorking |
Phil has been a member of hospital radio since 1982, although work commitments have limited his activity during the last ten years. He has mainly been involved on the technical side and has held several committee positions, including serving as Chairman for 13 years. |
| Treasurer |  Pete Sipple |
Pete joined the radio station at the age of 16, kick-starting a 30-year career in broadcasting. He is involved with several internet radio projects, has designed online and classroom-based radio training courses, and is a radio amateur. |
| Secretary |  Elaine Mullan |
Elaine joined the station in 2007 and has hosted a variety of shows. She works at a local firm of solicitors. |
| Membership Secretary |  Gary Royston |
Hello Gary here.
I started Hospital Radio back in 1982 at Harold Wood Hospital Radio and then moved to Southend and joined this wonderful family. I am very much a vinyl record collector and yes I do follow Eurovision, well someone has to. As Membership Secretary my aim is for people to enjoy the station meeting patients and become confident and happy. So get in touch if you want to join a brilliant team and a caring station. Maybe I will see you soon! |
| Communications Officer and Fundraising Officer |  Chiana Pettitt |
Chiana has been part of Hospital Radio since 2025, and hosts ‘Links, Likes and Locals’ on a Tuesday evening. She is passionate about bringing people together, and is a very active member of the local community and music scene. She regularly interviews businesses, charities, musicians and more, showcasing what Southend has to offer. Music and property are her loves – she is an estate agent by day, and a Radio DJ by night! |
| Committee Member |  Richard James |
As well as helping on the committee, Richard is active in the community of his home town, Leigh-on-Sea. |
| Committee Member |  Trevor Byford |
Trevor presents the station’s Sound of the Pirates show. He has worked as a Redcoat, is a keen musician and is a certified pilot. |
| Committee Member |  Ken Bennett |
Ken joined in 2009 and is retired, having spent most of his working life in banking. He presents It’s Country on Sundays at high noon. |
| Committee Member |  Sally Elsey |
Music has always been a huge part of Sally’s life, with Rock being her passion. She played in several bands in her youth, and performed at many local venues around the Southend and Chelmsford areas. Sally has written and recorded many songs over the years, collaborating with musicians from all over the world, the most successful and enduring being her Rock collaboration “Gabriel”. Sally joined Southend Hospital Radio towards the end of 2024, and now hosts her own Rock Show “RockQuest” on Saturday evenings. |
The station’s IT Manager and Webmaster is Pete Sipple.
