Kettering hospital radio wins prestigious award for compassionate work for patients and staff
Kettering General Hospital Radio (KGH Radio) has been honoured with a regional award for the station’s outstanding contribution to healthcare and the wider community.
Volunteers at KGH Radio were given the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Midlands Award, an accolade presented by SME News.
The award caps a remarkable turnaround for the station which serves some 7,000 patients, staff and visitors at KGH after facing challenges including closure and a catastrophic flood.
KGH Radio chairman Steve Bellamy said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this award. It is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and passion of our volunteers, who give their time freely to bring comfort and entertainment to patients and staff every single day.
"KGH Radio is proud to be part of the hospital community, and this award will inspire us to continue developing our services and reaching even more people.
“The letters of support and thanks we receive from staff and patients are testimony to the value we add and the benefit that we add.”
KGH Radio was relaunched in 2019 after years of closure. Since then the station has replaced old technology with an internet-based system that utilises smartspeakers to broadcast 24/7.
The station survived a catastrophic flood last year and now broadcasts from a newly fitted out studio that uses computer-based playlists with volunteers working as presenters.
Run entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, the station – a registered charity – plays a vital role in supporting patient wellbeing, lifting staff and patient morale, and strengthening connections across the hospital.
Its innovative broadcasting system ensures that programmes reach staff and patients directly within the hospital’s wards and departments, and the wider public through its website.
Now now in their seventh year, The Midlands SME Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements of businesses, charities, and organisations operating across the region.
For many patients, time spent in hospital can be a daunting or isolating experience but hospital radio can offer not only music and entertainment but also hospital news, request shows, and opportunities for interaction.
KGH Radio hopes to expand by attracting new volunteers and investing in technology with plans to extend the station’s reach to medical centres in Wellingborough, Corby and Irthlingborough.
Listen to KGH Radio at at kghradio.co.uk.