Kirkcaldy's hospital radio continues to entertain and inform staff and patients during coronavirus lockdown

Mark Sadgrove, chairman of VRN, who is broadcasting from home during the lockdown.

Mark R Sadgrove, chairman of VRN, has been a volunteer at the studio, based in Willow Drive on Whytemans Brae in Kirkcaldy, for the past nine years.

Hospital radio is a service provided for patients, staff and visitors to the town’s hospital services, and VRN is run entirely by volunteers.

In normal circumstances their duties range from presenting shows to collecting requests from patients, visitors and staff on the wards. The ages of the volunteers and their experience ranges widely, with some retired while others are just starting out on their radio career.

VRN has been entertaining and informing patients, staff and visitors in Kirkcaldy since 1971. Pictured are volunteer presenters in 2016.

Mark, who works at Lynebank Hospital and other NHS buildings in west Fife doing electrical maintenance, explained that the plans they had for the station had to be postponed because of the lockdown.

But, despite the studio being shut, Mark said he has found a way to keep VRN running for the time being.

He said: “Our network plays music 24/7 from our computerised system called Myriad. We try to get as many volunteers as we can to play live or record programmes when they are not available.

“We have 16 presenters at the moment and another three new volunteers waiting to be trained. But the coronavirus meant everything has had to be put on hold.

“With the studio being shut I was thinking about how the team could keep going, so I borrowed some equipment from one of the studios to set up at home.

“I have created a studio in my summer house and I broadcast live from there every Tuesday from 5-7pm.

“I have been getting three presenters to send me their recordings (music and presenter chat), which have been done in their own homes. I then slot it into the presenters usual time of the week (say 10-12am Monday or 7-10pm Tuesday), giving the impression they are live from the studio.

“I will continue to keep going live and our other presenters will get their music/shows played as well until things get back to normal.”

Mark said VRN has quite a varied playlist and programme schedule: “VRN will play anything and everything. We play rock, pop, jazz, chat shows, we have guest speakers, interviews, music from the movies and every night 8-10pm we play requests.

“Anyone can message in with their requests on the VRN app page or on our Facebook page. We actually have listeners in Canada and Australia!”

Mark said the main priority is to ensure that as many patients as possible can continue to be entertained during the current pandemic.

“VRN plays music every day/night, even if there isn’t a live presenter, and the music/chats etc, are always available to patients and staff,” he said.

“Our commitment has always been to reach as many patients as we can, but it seems doubly important at the moment as patients aren’t allowed visitors which must be a stressful and lonely time.

“The music has always been first and foremost for the patients at any hospital across Fife.

“When you’re sick in hospital, music can be the leading role in your recovery, as surveys have shown that there is an increase in such when the ability to listen to music is there.

“It’s even more important at the moment with the lockdown and the hospitals being overstretched.

“Many patients who have coronavirus are in ICU or on wards feeling anxious, scared and very much alone, with no visitors allowed in so maybe hearing a song from the charts or from a time when they went out dancing might cheer them up.”

VRN has been entertaining and informing patients, staff and visitors in Kirkcaldy since 1971, making it one of the country’s longest-running radio stations.

And through the years, many of VRN’s presenters have gone on to even greater things – and the station has picked up numerous national awards for its output.

Anyone wishing to become involved with the station can obtain further details and download an application form from the station’s web site: www.vrnkirkcaldy.com where there is also a link for people to tune into the online broadcasts.

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Hospital radio is a service provided for patients, staff and visitors to the town’s hospital services, and VRN is run entirely by volunteers.

VRN has been entertaining and informing patients, staff and visitors in Kirkcaldy since 1971, making it one of the country’s longest-running radio stations.

And through the years, many of VRN’s presenters have gone on to even greater things – and the station has picked up numerous national awards for its output.