CAUSEWAY HOSPITAL RADIO
NIC 102741
TRUSTEE’S REPORT
FOR YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2024
The Trustees have pleasure in presenting their Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31[st] March 2024.
Structure and Management
Causeway Hospital Radio ( C.H.R.) operates strictly in accordance to its Governing Document (Constitution ) and an Executive Committee consisting of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Station Manager and Station Engineer are elected annually from the general membership in May at our Annual General Meeting. All posts are for a term of one year with retiring members eligible for re-election. Currently the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are Trustees and are actively involved in the day to day running of our station. A further member of the Trustee board is Donald McWhirter, a representative of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT ). All Trustees are familiar with their roles and responsibilities as detailed in the Code of Good Governance. There is no private benefit to any of our
Trustees as everyone is treated the same and has equal access to all of our support and services.
Objective
The purpose of Causeway Hospital Radio is to help relieve sickness and encourage /promote wellbeing by providing a local broadcasting service for patients and staff in the Causeway Hospital. It is made accessible to the sick patients regardless of age, gender, ability, disability, .ethnic identity, nationality or religion.
Public Benefit
All current Trustees of Causeway Hospital Radio namely, Rodney Magee, Ita McErlean, Keith Acheson and Donald McWhirter have complied with and are fully aware of the Charity Commission’s Public Benefit guidance and requirements when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. We abide strictly by protocols agreed with the hospital administration and as a radio station we are members of the UK Hospital Broadcasting Association (H.B.A.) which keeps us up to date about the latest broadcasting legislation and policies to ensure that we provide the best professional training to our volunteers. This inspires our volunteers to become more involved and allows skills to be transferred and provides role models thus contributing to their personal and professional development. Hospital radio provides comfort at a stressful time with easy listening music, entertaining company to keep spirits up, and an important link to family and friends. As volunteers we visit the wards chatting to and gathering requests from the patients, which can be a welcome break from normal daily hospital routine. We welcome people from all ages and from all backgrounds who are interested in volunteering with us.
Proof of our benefit is by keeping records of the number of requests we gather daily, feedback from patients, their families and staff. We hold open days twice a year and
encourage patients, staff and family members to visit the studio to see the working of hospital radio.
Working with Vulnerable People and Children
As Causeway Hospital Radio operates solely within the Causeway Hospital it therefore has to abide by rules and regulations in accordance with the Hospital Trust policies. The radio Trustees have read and understand the Charity Commission’s guidance on Access NI checks and are jointly satisfied that the necessary checks have been made on all volunteers to safe guard our beneficiaries. All Access NI checks are carried out by the Hospital Trust before any volunteer is accepted to hospital radio and all volunteers are familiar with the Trust’s policy documents on Safeguarding Children and Young People( ref.no. NHSCT/15/861) and Vulnerable Adults ( ref.no. NHSCT/17/1089)
Promotion of Hospital Radio
Promoting hospital radio continues to be done through the local Volunteer Bureau in Coleraine, information leaflets in the hospital and of course, word of mouth through families’, friends and patients. More people are now able to contact us through Facebook and Twitter. Recent modifications to the studio layout means it is now more suitable for wheelchair users.
Financial Statement
Causeway Hospital Radio does not require a large operating budget. Income is from membership fees, donations from the public and local Council Community Grants. We have also received grants in the past from the Triangle Housing Association’s Charitable Giving Group, and we continue to seek funding from wherever possible. All monies are used for promoting our work. Promotional goods such as pens, pencils and notepads with our logo etc. are distributed around the patients to encourage them to listen and ask for requests. All radio equipment and studio furnishings are the property of the Causeway Hospital and in the event of any decision to dissolve C.H.R. the radio equipment shall be transferred to another charity with similar objectives.
Covid-19
Hospital radio is all about visiting the wards, distributing headphones to the patients and collecting their requests. Due to the recent pandemic and after consulting with the Hospital Trust, the decision was made on 18[th] March 2020 to close the studio. Continuing restrictions on ward visiting meant that we were closed up until October 2023 when after consulting with the hospital Trust we were allowed to resume broadcasting. During this time of closure. several of our members decided to leave including some of our Trustees The Chairman has been having several meetings with hospital management to discuss the possibility of introducing online broadcasting thus avoiding ward visits. Patients and family members will be able to listen on their phones, laptops etc. and phone or email requests to the studio. The Trust is at present investigating this possibility and we hope to have a favourable answer soon.
Rodney Magee Chairman 02.09.2024