Royal Free Radio

Previously known as Radio Enfield, the station began in 1970 at Chase Farm Hospital when a group of schoolboys decided to start a radio station.

That’s according to the chairman, David Scarff, who has been broadcasting since the station’s origin when it was no more than a cupboard with a singular two hour show every Sunday night.

He has witnessed it grow to multiple hospitals across the trust, merging with our charity to become Royal Free Radio in 2000. 

The highlight? ​“Meeting new people,” for David, who even met his wife through the station. His daughter now presents her own show on Royal Free Radio.

Andy Higgins, the station manager, recognises the impact the radio has on patients and staff across our hospitals. 

He said: ​“We encourage our presenters to get out on the wards and meet people and see who they are broadcasting to.”

Among the 28 volunteers, there are ​‘request collectors’ who gather song ideas from patients on wards.

David explained: ​“The most requested record over 54 years is Frank Sinatra’s My Way but the most requested artist is Elvis Presley.”

He added: ​“We had a spate of requests for Rod Stewart and The First Cut Is The Deepest and we thought it was strange; then we suddenly twigged it was from patients in the surgical wards having a bit of a lark.”

David also recalled his fondest memory, in which patients sang a song for the broadcasters. 

“We had a whole ward singing Tulips From Amsterdam once, they phoned in from what was then the telephone trolley – Max Bygraves was very popular and his record Tulips From Amsterdam in particular – and they had the whole ward singing it.

“We got told off by the matron for causing a disturbance but it was good fun.”

Whereas, Andy’s highlight from years of broadcasting as station manager centres on the live event they led.

He said: ​“We did a live FM broadcast from the local town park. While it was an immense amount of work it was immense fun at the same time.

“I’ll always remember that.”

After years of dedicated work, it’s no surprise that they have both been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the London Borough of Enfield.

No doubt, in part because of the station’s Sundown Sessions show.

According to the NHS, the term ​‘sundowning’ refers to a state of confusion in the late afternoon that can cause different behaviours in patients with dementia, such as anxiety and aggression. 

Danielle Wilde, a clinical dementia specialist at the Royal Free Hospital, pioneered a radio show that could be used as a form of therapy to make that time easier for patients and staff. 

Each show focuses on a different year, starting from 1952, with a selection of tracks and music news from that time.

The show was even mentioned in the trust’s Care Quality Commission report – a rarity for a volunteer-led project.

Listen out for our Royal Free Charity newsbites by tuning into Royal Free Radio.