Preface to 1987 Radio Appeal Year
1987
In 1986 Station Manager Dave Smith and Secretary PJ Davidson-Smith had spent a lot of time investigating options to improve on the current failing bed-head listening system. This included visiting Great Ormond Street Hospital and Kings College hospital in London.
A new transmission system called inductive loop AM was just beginning to be more accessible and a company called Wireless Workshop was sent plans of the hospital site and asked to quote on the cost for installation at Heatherwood.
All the background work for the move to introduce the inductive loop am service was carried out behind the scenes.
In November 1986 a presentation was made to the league of friends committee asking for their support to move the project forward. It was clear in our minds that by the end of 1986 a series of events lead us to the fundraising exercise of trying to raise the money for the new system in as short a time as possible,(£10'000).
When the application for the grant from Windsor & Maidenhead council had been submitted in Nov 1986: We never really thought it would prove fruitful. The project folder submitted was 44 pages of why there was a need to install this at the hospital, it was typed by the secretary on a portable typewriter and plenty of Tipp-ex.
1987
It's 1987 and Radio Heatherwood has an enormous task, to introduce the Inductive loop broadcast system for the benefit of all patients in Heatherwood. The decision to move towards the inductive loop method of broadcasting had been made some years earlier. The reason it hadn't been taken up was for the general state of the studio premises, equipment and the commitment of presenters.
When the first presentation was made to staff on that cold Sunday morning in January: no one had any idea just how this was going to develop.
On the following pages the entries made in the secretary's diary during the appeal year and with the help of the press articles and pictures what the overall response of the public was to our appeal.
P. J. Secretary.
Diary Of An Appeal
Charting the progress of the appeal and keeping up to date with the events of the year.
The station secretary logs the events in his diary. For more details:-
Staff Joining This Year 5 Staff Leaving 12
Appeal Closed
The radio appeal initially did not have a finish date set.
As funds arrived and the year progressed it was decided that the appeal would close at the year end.
For further details:-
Appeal Year The Story Unfolds:-“1987”
