A TEAM of Father Christmases pushed a bed-ridden patient around Draycote Water- in the name of bringing a smile to the faces of patients at St Cross Hospital.
Rugby Hospital Radio volunteers donned Santa suits at the fun run to raise awareness and funds – collecting nearly £800 which will go towards their ambitions to take their programmes online.
Each year the station puts on a special Christmas schedule of programmes including special request shows – and they hope to encourage more people than ever to tune in over the festive period this year.
The runners created a spectacle at the event by wheeling a retired hospital bed around the reservoir, complete with a radio listener.
The bed was kindly donated by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and their facilities management provider, ISS.
Chris Seddon, Modern Matron at the Hospital of St Cross, said: “We and ISS were delighted to be able to help Rugby Hospital Radio by donating a bed that we no longer use for patients.
“The volunteers at the radio station provide such a valuable service to our patients, especially at this time of year, being a friend at the bedside over the airwaves, as well as visiting them face-to-face to get song requests.”
Mike O’Connor, Chairman of Rugby Hospital Radio, said: “I am very proud of the effort our volunteers put into organising the stunt and raising money for the station.
“It’s heart-warming that every year our members take time to create a jam packed schedule of special shows for the patients at St Cross Hospital. We hope it’ll deliver festive cheer to listeners who find themselves at hospital over Christmas.
“The money raised is going to enable us to start our project to move the station online so a wider audience can access our programmes.”
Rugby Hospital Radio is an independent charity run by volunteers providing the radio service to the patients in the Hospital of St. Cross.
If you would like a request played on Rugby Hospital Radio for a friend or relative in St. Cross over Christmas, call (01788) 663 493.
