Hastings Conquest Hospital Radio

Andre Palfrey- Martin, accompanied by station mascots Wogan, a penguin, and Willie, a baby penguin, was the club’s after dinner speaker on 1st December 2021. 

Andre, amongst many other roles in life, is the Station Manager for the Conquest Community Radio in Hastings. 

The station was first formed in 1974 and broadcast from a cupboard in the Royal East Sussex Hospital, later it moved to St Helens Hospital and eventually to the Conquest Hospital where it now has its own studio – a windowless room ex store cupboard. 

Originally the programmes were broadcast to other local hospitals by tie-lines but now, from about seven years ago, it broadcasts over the web and has a world-wide audience under the title of “Conquest Community Radio”, a title which reflects its interactions with people and organisations outside the local hospitals.

Although the accommodation and electricity are paid for by the hospital the radio station has to find the money for licences, playing music and insurance thus they need to raise money to cover theses costs. 

Through arranging quizzes and a second hand book stall the station also raises some money to be able to make donations to other organisations connected to the hospital. Programmes include items for the staff, some of which are morale boosting, local information and, on Saturdays, a football programme.

Andre explained that the radio station was one of the few nationwide to continue broadcasting through the lockdowns. Live programmes were interspaced with an hours break for a thorough cleaning of the studio while programmes were streamed from the National Radio Syndicate.

President Geoff Gander thanked Andre for a very interesting talk.