Ashford’s hospital radio station – AHBS – has received £500 from the KCF Coronavirus Emergency Fund to help expand the shows offered to the patients of the William Harvey Hospital.
The money will be used to purchase additional studio equipment to allow presenters to record shows from home, increasing the number of shows broadcast.
The Ashford Hospital Broadcasting Service has been broadcasting a hospital radio service in Ashford since 1971. With its studios based at the William Harvey Hospital its presenters have been unable to broadcast live shows since the start of the pandemic.
AHBS Treasurer Andrew Broughton said: “We’re delighted that we have been awarded this funding to help us buy equipment for our presenters to record shows from their homes. We are hoping to be able to restart our live request shows from our studios soon and in the meantime are looking forward to being able to broadcast more recorded shows.”
The station hopes to restart live request shows in the coming weeks, which will be supplemented with additional recorded shows using the new equipment.
Since the start of the pandemic, the studios have been closed as they are located at the William Harvey Hospital. As restrictions start to ease, the studios will be available for limited use.
Kent Community Foundation helps individuals, families, businesses, trusts and foundations establish and administer their own charitable funds to support the causes that mean the most to them in Kent and Medway.
Since 2001, Kent Community Foundation has distributed over £34 million to local grassroots charities and voluntary organisations where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.