A lifetime of volunteering for Warrington Hospital radio legend

Five decades volunteering at Warrington Hospital’s Radio General.

Keith Inman is a true inspiration and the worthy recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by Warrington Borough Council.

Chairperson, secretary, treasurer and engineer Keith started volunteering at the radio station in January 1974 working behind the scenes before moving to the day to day running of the station as station manager.

Keith became a trustee in 1976 when the radio station became an independent charity and he had the honour of having the studio named after him in 2001.

He has seen many changes over the past half-century welcoming the digital systems to modernise the station when Radio General was connected to patients’ beds in 2004 and the launch of an online service in 2017.

Keith said: “Over the years, the technology may have changed but the aim of hospital radio remains the same - to entertain patients during their hospital stay and visiting the wards to speak to patients about their music requests and enhance their wellbeing while on the wards.”

Keith has been part of many memorable occasions in the life of Radio General, including the station’s first outside broadcast from Warrington Walking Day in 1974.

In 1979 he organised an outside broadcast to provide live coverage of the Queen’s second visit to Warrington with Prince Phillip.

Other royal visits he has covered include the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1984, for the unveiling of The Mad Hatters’ Tea Party sculpture in the Golden Square, and the 1994 visit of Princess Anne for the official opening of Croft Wing.

In 2020 Keith was instrumental in keeping the station going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing new ways of working to overcome the challenges of social distancing.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Keith Inman and wife Christine

He said: “Radio, to me, is being involved with what is going on in the town and bringing back to the patients a picture, in sound, events they were unable to attend.

“The feedback we get from the patients and listeners makes volunteering worthwhile and with the new members joining and getting involved, we hope to expand our programming output and ward visiting.”

Fellow volunteer Kevin Farrell, who has known Keith for 23 years, said: “Keith is a hugely encouraging man who looks after the hospital radio volunteers and looks to give them the best experience of volunteering.

“Many of the volunteers who have gone through Radio General have gone on to bigger and better things and that’s down to Keith.

“He’s a great man to work with and a fantastic man to work for and it’s great that he’s being recognised for all the effort he’s put in over the years.

“He does very long hours, every day, making sure that the radio is running for people listening on the wards.

“Being able to give people at the hospital something positive to listen to and to cheer them up in what are often dire circumstances is down to Keith.”

Watch Keith's fellow volunteers pay tribute to Keith and his 50 years of service:

David Birch, a volunteer at Radio General for 15 years, said: “Keith is the most modest person you could meet and he is the glue that holds Radio General together.

“His work ethic is second to none.

“Maybe one year we will get him presenting over the airwaves!”

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Keith Inman with Leanne Campbell and Richard Duggan editor of the Warringon Guardian

David added: “Keith won’t be expecting to win – he’ll be thinking he’s going to have a nice night out.

“He won’t have a speech prepared and he’ll be shocked to hear he’s won this award.”

Simon Constable, Chief Executive of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals, said: “For Keith to have given so much of his time over half a century to supporting the running of Radio General at Warrington is an incredible achievement.

“Broadcasts from our two hospital radio stations really do enhance the experience of our patients during their stay with us and simply would not be possible without the contribution of a committed group of volunteers like Keith.

“On behalf of our patients and staff – thank you and well done!”