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2016 How Did We Fall Out of Favour ?

League of Friends Meetings

The league of friends relationship with successive hospital managements has always been governed by whoever attended their regular meetings. In the beginning regular liaison meetings with the management was every 6 - 8 weeks, more recently this has fallen to 4 meetings a year. This the result of the demise of activity on the hospital and the loss of league services. The liaison meetings were there so the hospital management could let the league know what was happening and ask for funding for gifts and also for the management to agree to projects or ideas from the league. In support of those meetings, letters would be exchanged in the early days, this was replaced by email in later years.

From May this year the trust league rep, was trying to secure funding for a new lazer at a cost to the league of £100,000

Communication

Whenever there has been a problem for the league, communication would be one way.

Radio Lease

The lease of the radio was handled by a separate team, from the normal trust representative to the league.

Diary to Vacate premises.

We have taken all the correspondence of hospital communication for the year and collated it here, so you can see how things turned out.

It's 2016 the lease story unfolds:-

February
1stLeague of friends quarterly meeting.
Quarterly meeting with hospital, no information about the arrangements for the league’s assets in the future.
March
1stStudio lease expires.
No word from the trust at all about renewal at this stage in the year. In the past the lease has never been renewed on time, but has been months or even a year after expiration date. This in mind we didn’t think their would be a problem.
April
EarlyTrust Phone Call.
In early April whilst the treasurer was recovering from illness a phone call was received from a trust representative enquiring whether or not we had moved out, as the lease on the radio premises has expired.“Our first indication of trouble ahead”
15thTrust phone call.
Second call to trust to arrange meeting about lease. Email sent detailing availability.
28thTrust presentation at Ascot racecourse.Chairman of the league asks of the trust what arrangements for the future of the chapel and radio.“Chapel will have to go and we may be able to accommodate Radio” No further discussions.
29thHospital development plans displayed in local press.All news services carry detailed plans for the re-development.

May
3rdFollow up email to trust.
Any news on meeting date?.
4thFollow up email from trust.
“As you can imagine it is very difficult to arrange a meeting out of hours or at weekends. We are meeting next week and will come back with a programme of where we are with the Heatherwood site”.
9thFollow up email from trust.
“I will get together with XXXX and look at diaries.Can you give me an address we can sent any relevant correspondence to other than the hospital address please”.
9thLeague of Friends Quarterly Meeting
David informed the league he had received a phone call from XXXX stating as your lease has expired I’m assuming you are no longer on site at Heatherwood.David corrected his assumptions and is waiting on the outcome from a meeting of the trust and also a site visit to meet with XXXX to extend the lease until such time as a new facility could be made available to the radio service.
Hospital contact XXXX informed David, there were no plans in place for the lease to be extended.
No word from the trust rep at the meeting about any of the league’s assets in the re-build.
10thEmail to hospital rep to league.
I have enclosed here some information which may assist you in your efforts to secure some satisfactory outcomes for the leagues assets.
Hospital chapel,Here is a link to the web page which shows the hospital chapel
League Chapel
We need assurance from the trust the chapel will be protected.
Radio Heatherwood Premises,I have enclosed here a copy of the floor layout of the current premises of the radio studio. We need assurance from the trust that the radio can continue it's current lease until new premises are made available and the down time between any move is kept to a minimum break in service. Last night we demonstrated to you the future internet radio service which could be launched within a matter of days.
League of Friends, The league of friends as a charity organization has had it's membership decimated by the indecision over the future of the hospital. Before the present predicament the league had 50 volunteers who regularly carried out voluntary work at the site. We are now down to the members you see at the league meetings. All of the members are aware, we need to move with the times and accept there will be change, loss of the chapel and the radio service will be the final straw for the charity.If you need any further information we will be only too pleased help.
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June
2ndEmail Reply to 10th May email from hospital trust rep to the league of friends.
I am so sorry I have not replied to your message sooner. I spoke to XXXX who is one of the people responsible for the Heatherwood site. He is a lovely chap and will do his best to ensure you can stay in your current premises until the bulldozer arrives!.
5thTreasurer Replies to Email 10th May from Trust hospital Rep.
Hopefully it will be good news for the radio, let's hope XXXX is able to achieve this for us. As it stands at the moment, the radio is now ready to go online officially, it will take about thirty days from the word go, licences PRS, PPL etc. We can't justify spending this money if our tenancy is going to end now or in the near future before the bulldozers arrive.
As I understand the time frame at the moment, we could be on site until mid 2018, then dismantling of the station would take around 4 months, clear for proposed building of homes in 2019. Hopefully long before this, a site for the new radio is identified and work has been going on in tandem, so the studio is a move and service is continuous. If there is to be a break in service we need to keep it short.Once we can have a good idea of what the minimum time left on site is, we can go ahead with the internet launch, anything under 18 months might be considered to be too short to be paying for the launch.
It was planned for 10th of June our 40th year, for now we are going to announce it as the new service “Coming Soon”.Once launched, it will be a very large feather in everyone's cap, a voice not only for our charity, also Frimley Health Trust, Radio Heatherwood entertaining and educating and informing for everyone.
22ndEmail/letter from trust is received letter dated 1st June ( never ever received by post )
“I wrote to you on 1 June regarding the lease of premises at Heatherwood Hospital. As I have not heard from you I am just wondering if the letter was received by you. In view of this I attach a further copy.
The instrument of our closure and departure
As you will be aware, the Lease under which you kindly provided radio services at Heatherwood Hospital expired at the end of March of this year. Given our plans to redevelop the hospital site in order to provide modern premises for the local community, it will not be possible for the Trust to enter into a new lease arrangement with you.
I am aware that you still have equipment and other items in the premises and would ask that you make arrangements to remove the items in question at a mutually agreeable time. Given the nature and amount of the equipment in situ, the Trust will allow you to continue to occupy the area in question as a Tenant at Will while such arrangements are being made. It is important for the Trust to reserve its rights, as conferred under a Tenancy at Will, to terminate your ongoing occupation at any time – and we expressly do so. Against that background, however, the Trust anticipates allowing the arrangement to continue until the end of the calendar year, should you require that length of time to take the required steps.
The Trust would like to thank you for your efforts in providing radio services to the patients of the hospital over the years and with this in mind it would be useful if we could meet up to discuss this service.”
Comment;-The letter never ever materialized by post!
It later transpired the email giving us notice to quit, the attached letter was signed the day before the email 2nd June from trust rep to league saying we would be ok?.
August
1stLeague of Friends Quarterly meeting,(Hospital rep didn’t attend).
David informed the league the radio station is insured for £58,000 but without premises is only worth a fraction of the cost.
The league discussed the letter from the trust regarding the lease. This letter was not received until the 21st June. Despite attempts to arrange a meeting they have not responded.
Text from the minutes of the league meeting.
13thEmail from Trust league rep.
“I was sad to see from the minutes of your last meeting that the Trust has decided not to renew the lease for the radio at Heatherwood Hospital and you are starting to dismantle the radio and equipment. This seems a great shame and you must be devastated after all the work you have put into the radio at the hospital”.
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September
4thEmail letter to trust director.
After 40 years, Radio Heatherwood has been asked to leave the site by the end of December. We had hoped to still be on site until the bulldozers moved in, which is still a year or two away, sadly this is not to be. The Full story is on our facebook page, Radio Heatherwood, Forty not out and update articles.
Ward 4, When this ward moved to the old 10, the bed head entertainment units had previously been removed, their manner of removal meant re-install would not be an option. I'm not sure that it was yourself or a colleague that approached us to see if we could do something. We researched the best way to do this and came up with Rhapsody Wi-Fi, which provided not only secure connectivity to the internet, also three radio stations including ourselves. Five loan internet radio's were put out on the ward, especially useful to older patients, or patients with older phones etc.
Since 2012 it has been well used, funding of £6,500 by our parent body the League of Friends was money well spent, free to patients and staff, an average 14 connect each day. Our staff visit the ward and help patients to connect to the Wi-Fi, and supply free headphones, whether they end up listening to us or not, they are connected to the world and families etc.
We are currently reducing our studio complex down to one studio, internet equipment including the Wi-Fi, which will take a month maximum to disconnect and remove. On our current given timescale by the trust, this final stage will commence when we close down broadcasts on the 3rd December.
Once we disconnect and remove the equipment including Wi-Fi repeater stations on the ward, the patients will have limited access on the Heatherwood Guest Wi-Fi, or phones etc on 4g.
Rhapsody Wi-Fi is still very popular, once it is turned off, there is likely to be some upset over it, and the reason of this email is to inform you how this has all come about.
After asking around I was given your name as the person with regards to Heatherwood facilities and the person who will need to know. Apologies if this information is not correct, if this is the case, perhaps you know the person this should be forwarded too. Please do share/forward to anyone you feel should be aware.
4thEmail to trust project manager.
To update you, we have reduced our studio complex equipment wise to one studio, plus internet equipment including ward 4 Wi-Fi equipment, this would take a month to remove. We are broadcasting on the internet as well now, albeit just three months. We are working to the original timescale, so broadcasts will finish on Sat 3rd December, all equipment out by end of December.
The last time we spoke, you were to attend a meeting about where the trust was with the Heatherwood Site, bearing in mind a much used Rhapsody Wi-Fi facility will go when we do, it would be an advantage to the Trust and ourselves for us to remain for as long as we can, should the redevelopment timetable slip.
We would be happy to remain as tenants at will, to such times as no time is left. we have as a radio and League of Friends, always seen ourselves as guests of the hospital. The current full story behind the scenes, Forty not out and update article with pictures are on our Radio Heatherwood Facebook page.
8thEmail from trust project manager.
After a number of emails were exchanged they finally agree a date in October to meet us.
October
3rdInvitation to meet the chairman of the trust.
Letter dated 29th September invite to Windlesham Golf Club to meet the trust chairman.
5thStation manager meets with trust lease people.
Meeting with lease people.
After introductions and a look around and an update on our internet broadcasting to the patients of Heatherwood, the Radio put forward it's hopes for the future, this included the hope that we would remain until the bulldozers moved in on the site, which would be after the new hospital would have been built, meetings for the future studio's in the new hospital, any policy the trust might have or view for hospital radio in the future.
The trust said the notice to quit would still stand, We would have to vacate our premises by December 31st 2016, we had been granted extra time to leave due to the size of the studio's etc.
The trust was asking all third parties to leave the Heatherwood site, We being one of the last to go, it was to make preparations for services etc for the new hospital and we were in the way of these.
It was stated the trust didn't have a policy toward hospital radio as such, they would be happy for us to continue broadcasting to the hospital from other premises off the hospital grounds.
In particular it had been noted the contribution given by Myself and PJ Davidson-Smith over the years and the radio's to Heatherwood, they would be happy to broker talks with the 3 radio stations, Radio Heatherwood, Radio Wexham and Frimley park hospital Radio with the view of sharing premises.
When asked about the new hospital and space for the radio during these talks, it was revealed that any non clinical departments or third parties, would have to have a good reason to be there and essential to the hospital. Given this reason it was apparent that space for hospital radio was not ever considered.
The radio explained the situation regarding the ward 4 Wi-Fi, that once the radio leaves, the ward will not have the free service or any other form of entertainment at the bed head, it would obviously be missed by the patients and staff.
Both sides realised that the march of mobile technology and entertainment would also affect the future for the remaining stations the trust has at this time, as space for clinical use is in high demand.As the meeting closed, the trust thanked Radio Heatherwood and all it's volunteers for the 40 years of service broadcasting to patients and staff.
David would be in touch after some consideration is given to the suggestions made over future talks with the other radio stations. David and PJ's response was emailed on the 1st November 2016. Given that Radio Heatherwood was always about “A Friend at The Bedside”, the answer could almost have been known straight away when it came to remote broadcasting.
David Smith Station Manager.
6thLeague secretary resigns.
League secretary stands down.
24thLeague of Friends AGM meeting.
Last league meeting for PJ Davidson-Smith.
31stEmail to trust declining their offer.
Thank you for the meeting, it was nice to meet you both and to understand the reason for us to leave by the end of the year.
It has taken awhile to get back to you as we wanted to give some serious thought about some of the suggestions made at the meeting, also to make the League of Friends aware of our thoughts as well. Can I thank you both for the ideas put forward and X offer to broker talks with the Trust's two other Stations.
With much thought, Peter and I have decided to call it a day when Radio Heatherwood goes off air on Saturday 3rd December at 10.a.m., after broadcasting our final hour programme. For us to be starting all over again somewhere else does not enthral us at all, and the continuing advances in technology and medical practices, or demand for space increases, we could be facing the same story in a few years time at Wexham or Frimley or elsewhere.
The rest of the equipment will be dismantled by the end of December.
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November
1stEmail from trust.
Thank you for getting back to us.
I quite understand your reasons for deciding to call it a day and wish you well for the future. Not only that, of course, but a big thank you for all the work you, your brother and others have done in the past.
23rdWindlesham golf club
After a donation of £40,000 was made in the summer of 2016, by our parent body the League Of Friends, to the hospital trust for a new laser for the Urology department. A presentation of the new laser was arranged for the 23rd November at the theatre's at Heatherwood. We were to meet the consultant in charge of this fine and worthy piece of equipment. In the afternoon a small reception/afternoon tea at the Windlesham Golf Club to say thanks and to meet the chairman of Frimley health Trust.
In the morning all went well and we were all impressed by the effect the laser would have on waiting times and the speed and less invasive surgery it would have in treating patients.
Although I was at this presentation, it was with my League Of Friends "Hat" on, it would be the same for the afternoon. On arrival in the afternoon at the golf club, the trust reps gave the chairman's apology, he had been called away, there were 4 reps from the trust in attendance.
A lovely buffet/afternoon tea greeted us and we all sat down to enjoy.
The topic of conversation encouraged by the trust reps was of the sad farewell to the radio station in a month's time. I was called upon to give a history of the station through the years, so away went my League of Friends hat and put on my Radio Heatherwood hat. Afterwards the conversation was general in terms of reference with regards to the new Heatherwood hospital.
It was a surprise to me that this meeting was also about the radio station, upon arrival at the reception, a poster (as shown) announcing the reception for the Volunteers of Radio Heatherwood and presumably to thank us before closing, for 40 years of Radio Heatherwood.
It would appear that someone somewhere got the wires crossed, although the League of Friends was there, they are the parent body, the people actually deserving of this were not. I (as Radio staff), was only there by default and not by intention, sadly a chance to thank the rest of the radio staff was missed. PJ Davidson-Smith, Ian Butcher, along with myself, the remaining staff of Radio Heatherwood, were blissfully unaware that this had been arranged. None the less, the reception was gratefully received and due thanks given at the end before all of us headed home.
Manager - Dave Smith
Time to go
At some point the radio fell out of favour with the trust,their decision had already been made before the radio could question.
The radio/league were still spending money on a major internet project. As we read through the events of the year,we would like to know, at what stage had they made the decision to not renew the lease and no space to be made available in the new premises?.
We will probably never know the answer to that question!
And the end is nigh, no more communication took place and the radio passed into history.