Become a Volunteer

Southend Hospital Radio is always on the lookout for people to join our team and help out as a volunteer. Here’s some information about what we do, and how you may be able to help.

As well as working in our studio complex, we’re looking for people to visit patients in the wards, helping to spread the word about what we do, and promoting our various shows.

 

Volunteering Opportunities:

We’re currently looking for volunteers to help out in the following areas:

  • Visiting the wards: This is a key function of what we do. Our team regularly visits patients on the various different wards of Southend Hospital. We typically visit on weekday evenings. Our team typically works in pairs, or in a small group, to tell patients about our service, explain how to listen to us, and to see if patients want a song played on our Southend Hospital Tonight show
  • Fundraising: We rely on charity donations to keep the station running. In the past, activities have included high street collections, charity walks, outside events, sponsored events and donations from businesses. We’re always looking for people to help out, or to come up with new and innovative ways to raise money to keep us on-air
  • Presenting: We broadcast live programmes 7 days a week. Our busiest shows are the weekday evening “Southend Hospital Tonight” shows, and new recruits are encouraged to start out on these shows as part of a team reading news items as well as requests that have been collected from the patients. There are also opportunities to assist on other shows, and once a certain level of experience has been gained, our members have the chance to host their own shows. 
  • Other activities: We are also on the lookout for people to help with other activities, such as audio production, promotion and engineering.

 

Want to join our team?

Southend Hospital Radio is run by volunteers, and broadcasts on weekday evenings, and during the day at weekends. You must be 16 or over to apply to become a volunteer. Full training is provided. For safeguarding purposes, ward visitors will be required to undertake a DBS background check.

For a summary of what’s involved in volunteering with us and how you can help, see our Joining Hospital Radio Guide

If you’re interested in joining, please use the following form to send over your details, and we’ll get in touch and arrange for you to pay us a visit. Alternatively, you can call us between 7pm and 9pm on weekday evenings on 01702-338181 and ask one of our team to pass your details to our New Recruits team.

COVID Update: Due to Covid, we’re not able to provide our full service, or to train new starters. If you’re interested in joining us when we’re able to start up normal services, please enquire using the following form and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

    Membership Enquiry Form

    Your Full Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Contact Phone Number (required)

    Nearest Town (required)

    How old are you?

    What weekday evenings are you free?

    How can you help us?

    How did you hear about us

    Anything else to add?

    I agree to my personal details being held by Southend Hospital Radio for the purposes of processing my membership enquiry, in accordance with our

    site privacy policy. (Please tick)

    Video: Behind The Scenes

    Here’s a short video that takes a peek behind the scenes at Southend Hospital Radio:

    More Information

     

    If you think you would like to join our happy band, please don’t be shy, please get in touch! In 2014, we appeared on BBC Essex to talk about our service. Please have a listen to the following recording if you want to hear us talk about what we do:

    Find out more about us: BBC Essex Interview – 13 June 2014

    Thanks for your interest!