Join Us

Join Us...

Becoming a BHBS Volunteer

BHBS relies on a large team of volunteers to provide its shows and other services. We are always looking for volunteers who are keen to learn - you don't need to be an expert.

It's all about the people, and we're always happy to welcome new ones to our membership. We are looking for helpers who are prepared to assist with all aspects of hospital radio, from cleaning the floor, through cataloguing records to producing programmes.

(Naturally, we will train you to operate the equipment too).

Request A Song - click on the mic

Our People

We need people who are prepared to commit themselves to at least one evening a week on a regular basis.

Punctuality and reliability are our first requirements, but you should also be:

eighteen or over
interested in working with people
have good communication skills;
willing to join fund-raising activities
able to make a weekly commitment
interested in music beyond your own tastes.

About our volunteers

BHBS is a hospital radio station, not a community or commercial station. We rely entirely on donations, collections and fundraising efforts to raise the £10,000 or so that it needs to continue each year. That means that every member is expected to help with all the jobs needed to run the station, ranging from cleaning, cataloguing, collecting and all the other humdrum jobs before we even think about broadcasting.

There are about 70 members of BHBS, all unpaid volunteers. Occupations range from company director to unemployed, and student to retired. Only a few actually work for the health service, other occupations include airline pilot, schoolteacher, electronics engineer, accountant and many others. Longest serving member is Geoff Rose who started as a football commentator in 1953. Geoff was one of the team of commentators at Ashton Gate at the start of our second season of broadcasting. Since those far off days Geoff has also presented his weekly jazz programme and many sports magazine programmes as well as doing commentary on football, cricket, rugby, wrestling and even a lady snake charmer!

What do we expect of you?

To join BHBS you must complete an application form. You will then be be invited to an informal interview at which you will also get to look round the studios. If you are accepted onto the training scheme we will require that you're able to turn up for four consecutive Saturday mornings. If all goes to plan, you'll be relieved of a modest membership fee and become a full member.

Each evening the personnel work as a team and each member of a team has a job to do, if one member fails to turn up then someone else has to cover, if more than one person fails to turn up then we are in even worse trouble. We ask that you are able to commit yourself to one evening/afternoon a week and to reliably turn up on that evening, if not then inform the studio as soon as you know that you cannot make it.

Hospital Radio for Careers in the Media

Many Careers Officers and professional broadcasters recommend hospital radio as useful experience for people who are interested in careers in the media. While hospital radio may not offer much to would-be trendy DJs or those who aspire to Radio One, those who aspire to media careers may indeed gain from joining a hospital radio station.

In common with many hospital radio stations, BHBS places the patients' musical tastes above our own presenters'. So, expect Harry Secombe to be more popular than the Spice Girls and don't be put off by the wide age range of hospital radio volunteers.

We also tend to consider how long you might be a member. So a student six months away from starting a university course miles away is unlikely to be offered membership. You may be great, but by the time you're trained you would be leaving us.

Work Experience

Recently, many school children have written to ask for a week or two of work experience. Sadly we do not support this as, being a voluntary organisation, we need members who'll stay with us a while. None of our members is full-time, so we can't get you to shadow someone.

To join BHBS, please contact the Chairman via E mail or write to

Iain Elliott , BHBS, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW