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Filling In Her Request Sheet For The Final Time
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Volunteering For Hospital Radio
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New Distribution System For Radio Skerne
Station Welcomes Two Major Donations
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New Music Storage And Playout System
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Station Founders... Found!!!
Contact Information for Radio Skerne - Darlington Memorial Hospi
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Volunteering For Hospital Radio
 This section of the Darlington Hospital Radio - Radio Skerne web site will look at some of the areas a volunteer will be able to participate in.
Please note that Radio Skerne will take on candidates from across the region, but people are advised that it may be easier for themselves if they join their local Hospital Radio station - of which there are many across the North East region.
If you wish to join Radio Skerne please use the details found on the 'Contact Information For Radio Skerne' page to get in touch with us: |
Presenting On Hospital Radio
 Radio Skerne has the use of two broadcast studios. The majority of shows come from Studio 1, but our production studio (pictured) is named after a former presenter and local celebrity - The Ivy Nixon Studio.
In order to become a presenter, the volunteer must complete a rigorous training schedule before they are allowed to broadcast to the patients of Darlington Memorial Hospital.
They must be competent while speaking 'on-air' and they must familiarise themselves with the equipment and techniques of producing suitable output for the station.
Long-term presenters with experience at broadcasting to the patients have the task of making sure the trainees are up to the standards needed to entertain the audience.
Prospective volunteers should be aware that you will not be given a show until you are deemed to have reached the standards needed to present.
You will also be asked to take part in keeping the station in good running order, request collecting and fundraising.
Candidates must also realise who they are broadcasting to. Many of the patients are mature and in most cases they do not want to hear the type of music found on Radio 1 or Galaxy Radio.
If you come with the attitude that you want to be the next big DJ (disc jockey), you may not be suitable for the type of show you will be expected to produce.
In fact, one of the first things a candidate will be told is that they are not to use the title of 'DJ' as all production staff are called 'presenters.'
However, if you come with an open mind, be willing to learn new skills and can spare a few hours each week you will fit in nicely. |
Request Collecting
Many people do not realise that the request collectors are just as important as the presenters.
Hospital Radio is unique in that it tries its very best to please a wide range of people - from the children to the elderly.
We are able to do this by finding out exactly what the patient wants to listen to. This task is the responsibility of all volunteers at that station.
However, there are volunteers who do not wish to present a show and find more pleasure in collecting requests.
Request collectors are an integral part of Radio Skerne and the station has people who visit each of the six floors of Darlington Memorial Hospital every week.
We pride ourselves on having a dedicated band of volunteers who make sure that we have requests and dedications from people of all ages and walks of life.
If you feel that perhaps presenting is not the type of thing you would like to do, please do not hesitate to contact us as we are always in need of new recruits to keep the station running as smoothly as possible.
Some of our members have not gone through the process of training to be a presenter, instead they wish to give something back to the hospital by collecting requests from the patients and we respect their views and actively encourage them to join us. |
Helping Out
As well as request collectors and presenters, Radio Skerne is always in need of volunteers who can spare some of their time or expertise to generally help out.
For example, the station uses various pieces of equipment to produce the shows, these include:
Vinyl/record players
Compact disc players
Cassette players
Mixing desks
As with all things electrical, they can and do stop functioning. So, if you are electronically biased then we could use your expertise to keep the equipment in good working order.
If you have read 'The Ivy Nixon Studio (Studio Two)' section of the site, you will be aware that we are in the process of re-fitting the main output studio - Studio One.
In this instance we are always in need of people who have joinery skills who are able to help out in the refurbishment.
If you feel that you have expertise in an area that would benefit Radio Skerne, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. The details can be found on our contacts area - there is a direct link to it at the top of this page. |
Application For Membership Process
Darlington Hospital Radio - Radio Skerne cannot accept applications from people under the age of 18.
Hospital rules do not allow people under the age of 18 to join the station.
However, if you are nearing the required age and want to express your interest, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Hopefully, you can find out what it is like being a volunteer for the station and when you meet the age requirement you can formally apply for membership.
As you will have read, this section covers some of the main duties an applicant will be required to take part in. If you feel that one of the areas mentioned appeals to you, please phone or write to us.
If there is an area not mentioned in this section and you feel that your knowledge or skill could be put to some use at the station, once again get in touch with us.
One very important area that needs to be addressed is the application procedure.
We work in an area where there are sick and vulnerable people and it is for this reason that we have to adhere to the rules and regulations of the hospital and voluntary services.
It is for this reason that we must stress that these regulations are in place for the benefit of all people - volunteers, patients and staff included.
Radio Skerne works with the voluntary services section of the hospital and all applications must go through this department.
When you make contact with us, we will send out all the necessary application forms - don't worry they are not hard to fill in and should not take more than a couple of minutes.
When the hospital receives the application forms we may call you in for an informal interview where you will be given the opportunity to meet some of our members and have a look around the station. This is simply an exercise for both parties to get to know each other.
One important point the station cannot emphasise enough is that we are always on the lookout for new members. However, hospital rules mean that applications can take some time to be processed - voluntary services need to check on references, etc.
Radio Skerne is working very hard to get the length of time between first contact and full membership of the station, down to as short a period of time as possible.
It is for this reason that candidates MUST be aware that from the moment your application forms have been sent out to you, the rest of the process is beyond our control. We will, however constantly check up on how far your application has passed through the system.
Overall, if you feel that you could help Darlington Hospital Radio - Radio Skerne, please get in touch with us and we will set the ball in motion. |
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