Causeway Hospital Radio

Public benefits

There are many benefits which flow from our actions. Primarily we offer comfort at a stressful time to patients and their family and friends by providing easy listening music, a welcome distraction by providing entertaining company to keep spirits up, and an important link to family and friends through requests and inspirational stories.

Volunteers also pay visits on the wards chatting to patients for requests which can be a break from the normal hospital routine. For the patients we reduce stress and create a sense of fellowship which can increase a sense o f health and well-being and we can reduce demands on vital staff time through the befriending service that we provide on the wards and in the corridors providing a listening ear. We have a recognised professional standard to inspire our volunteers to become involved and the training we provide allows skills to be transferred and provides role models. Other benefits include the training we provide to our volunteers which contributes to their personal and professional development. We are an open organisation welcoming people of all ages and from all backgrounds who are interested in volunteering with us. Our beneficiaries are the members of the public who are the patients of the hospital, their family and also hospital staff and indeed anyone that we can help. They are also our volunteers who can gain skills and confidence while providing of their time and expertise. How we prove our benefit is through record keeping of feedback from patients, staff and their families as well as those who volunteer in our various activities and attend our events. We provide newsletters and flyers, utilise the local press for publicity and take photographs and also collect monitoring information when we access public funds for our activities. There is no private benefit accrued to any of our trustees as everyone is treated the same and has equal access to all of our support and services. If conflict of interest arises it is discussed and addressed as part of our trustee meetings to ensure that no private benefit happens. Everyone whether volunteer or member of the public is treated in exactly the same way and there is no privilege or gain attached to any of our activities. Where volunteers acquire training to assist them in the delivery of our objectives, this training may also enhance their employment or volunteering opportunities elsewhere but this gain is necessary for us to be able to deliver our objectives and be compliant with legislation including Access NI and Health and Safety for example. No harm arises from the delivery of our public benefit as all of our activities are well-thought out, planned and risk assessed and all necessary insurances, checks and policies are in place and adhered to under the supervision of our Chairperson and the Trustees of the organisation.

What your organisation does

Causeway Hospital provides a daily radio service to patients and staff at the Causeway Hospital which offers comfort at a stressful time with easy listening music and entertainment for both patients and staff. The radio station is staffed by well trained volunteers who provide a high standard and abide strictly to protocols.