Sunshine Radio up for awards!

My New Year got off to a great start when I woke up to the news that Sunshine Radio has been shortlisted in two categories in the National Hospital Radio awards!

For those that don't know much about these awards they are held to recognise all that is great in hospital radio stations across the country. Run by the Hospital Broadcasting Association they have a number of categories, and are hospital radio's equivalent of the Oscars! So to be shortlisted in two categories is fantastic!

Best Speech Package

The first category we are up for is Best Speech Package for our feature on the Helicopter Museum in Weston. This category recognises excellence in speech-based programming or interviewing skills.Marcus and I went along and interviewed the founder Elfan Ap Rees, volunteers and visitors. I remember the first time I went here, it was with my parents and I wasn't that keen to go. I mean, a big hanger full of helicopters - what a boring way to spend my Saturday! Well, I was very surprised! It was actually really interesting, and the size of some of the helicopters is unbelievable! There are a number of helicopters in the museum that can not be seen anywhere else in the world, and we are lucky to have them on our doorstep. We thought a feature on the museum would be very interesting for the patients, and it is an added bonus that we have been shortlisted in the speech category.

Special Event

The next category we have been shortlisted in is the Special Event section, which recognises a one-off programme or event that does not form part of a station's day-to-day output. We entered our 35 years 35 songs piece, which was presented and put together by Nick. Last year Sunshine Radio celebrated 35 years of broadcasting, and Nick came up with the idea of playing one song from every year of the stations history. Every volunteer picked two songs, and recorded a short piece on why they liked the songs, and memories associated with it. This was a real team effort, and something very different from the sort of thing that you usually hear on hospital radio. A lot of work went into this, and we were very proud of the end result, which is why it is so great that it has been shortlisted.

Finally I am up for Fundraiser of the Year. This category has no shortlist, so people are nominated, and the winner revealed on the night. I have been the Fundraising Officer for Sunshine Radio for four years, and have spent the best part of that time coming up with crazy schemes and bullying people to take part! When not on air in the studio I can usually be found waving collection tins and sign up forms under people's noses!

Gold for Female Presenter of the Year in 2013

Last year I won Female Presenter of the Year, and attended the award ceremony in Blackpool. It was a great night, with a lovely three course meal, and the chance to celebrate the achievements of hospital radio volunteers across the country. Some people feel that hospital radio is not that great - is just a bunch of people talking rubbish into a microphone pretending they are DJs. This could not be further from the truth. It is so worthwhile, and has been proven to cheer patients up. For our wardround request show we visit patients on the wards and ask them what songs they would like to hear. You could be the only visitor a patient gets, and a five minute chat with you can really brighten their day. So can the fact that they get to request a song that can have great memories for them, and then share it with everyone else in the hospital. I remember last year I was in the canteen about half an hour before my show, Talk of the Town, next to a group of elderly men in wheelchairs. One man asked another if there was anything on television or radio that would cheer him up tonight. The man replied 'Talk of the Town by that Laura is on Sunshine Radio tonight. She is absolutely crazy, but makes me laugh!" His words have stuck in my mind to this day, as this is the reason I give up my time to do what I do. If I can make just one person smile then I have done my job. The most important thing for Hospital Radio is the patients. The awards are a little extra thing, and a way to thank and praise these volunteers.

The award ceremony takes place in Bristol on March 29. I am very excited - please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Oh, and before I finish what do you think of this dress? I was wary about wearing a long one, as I am clumsy and will probably trip over it, but I fell in love with the style! Couldn't decide on a colour at first,

Decisions, decisions!

but a poll on facebook put the blue out on top, so think I will go for that one :)

xx

New year - new start

Ready to blog!

So we are already a good week and a half into 2014. A new year, a new, fresh start. Yesterday was the day that most people break their New Years resolutions. So how are you all doing? Still going to the gym everyday, letting no chocolate what-so-ever pass your lips, and watching every penny you spend so that you can manage your finances better? Or have you crumpled. Totally given up and comforted yourself during the most depressing month of the year (in my opinion) withy a big slice of chocolate cake and a glass of wine. Don't worry if you have, you are not alone!

For New Years eve I spent it in my house for the first time in absolutely years! We were going to go out, but the price to get in places, together with the price of a taxi home and drinks all night was just too much. So we invited some friends over, and said goodbye to 2013 with Chinese, champagne and games. And you know what....it was great! And it was made even better the next morning when I woke up to find Sunshine Radio had been shortlisted for 2 categories in the HBA awards, but more about that in another post.

Did I make any resolutions? No. I don't really bother with them, as I usually end up breaking then. In fact I think I have only kept one in all the years I have been making them, and that was the one I made for last year to keep my nails nice and stop biting them. So what I have done instead is to make some goals for 2014, things I would like to achieve for the year. If they happen great, but if not I am not going to beat myself up about it. My goals for the year are:
*Decorate our house, to make it feel more like ours
*Improve my blog, post more and get it out there.
*Save money for the wedding
*Improve my fitness and overall health.

So there you go, four very achievable goals for this year.

What a 13-year-old me wrote on my old bedroom wall

Number one is going well. We are only just into 2014 and already we have decorated 2 rooms. I have cheated slightly, as we did the living room before Christmas, but it is done, along with our bedroom, which is purple and I have sneaked in some elephant stuff :) These rooms went relatively smoothly, as most things I did were supervised by Joe. Though there were nearly purple footprints all over the bedroom after I managed to put my foot in a paint can while painting on my own! I managed to hop to the bathroom to wash it off, and catastrophe was averted! On another note, does anyone actually enjoy wallpapering?! Painting I find quite relaxing, but wallpapering is stressful! Luckily we are just doing one feature wall in each room, so not too much to do! We have also written a little note under the wallpaper in each room, to find in years to come when we redecorate. We did this when I was a kid at my parents, and it was fun when I found it and read what I had written :)

The other view of the living room 

One view of the living room

The purple bedroom!

Number 2 I am working on. If you enjoy my blog please share it....I want more followers!

Number 3.....the wedding! I am so excited about this, but March 2015 seems ages and ages away! People tell me it will go fast, but I am not believing that! So we need to save save save to pay for it! There will be more posts on the wedding planning I am sure, as I have come to the conclusion that I don't have a clue where to start! Any help or tips from married people out there greatly appreciated!

These are getting quite a few outings now!

Number 4 is going well so far. After a strenuous circuits class last night I am feeling fabulous today! I have set this goal before, and failed. But this year I know I will succeed as I have Ams to motivate me, and me to motivate her. We are going to help each other, and it is so much more enjoyable going with a friend.

So there you go. The first blog of 2014. Hope you enjoyed reading it, and stick with me through the rollercoaster that I am sure this year will be!

xxx