IN a portable building tucked away behind Russells Hall Hospital is a hidden gem, which provides a lifeline to many of the hundreds of patients in the wards.

Dudley News reporter Rachel Hickman went along to get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of Dudley Hospital Radio as she joined the Ade at eight' show for one night only.

The show which airs from 8pm until 10pm on a Tuesday evening, features the dulcet tones of host and station vice-chairman Adrian Allison-Baillie, who is aided by his trusty broadcast assistants, 17-year-old Nathan Jolly and 53-year-old Dave Price.

A group of 20 dedicated volunteers have kept the radio station on air for over 30-years, providing a vital service for patients who do not have visitors.

All the patients throughout the vast hospital have headphones by their beds, which allows them to tune into their favourite shows, which run all week.

The station caters for all tastes and ages with programmes including a children's show, a country and western night and request shows. Musical requests during one show can vary from Glenn Miller's moonlight serenade to Meatloaf's bat out of hell to the latest chart toppers and with the station's huge library containing thousands of vinyls, cds and downloads - there is always something for everyone.

The radio station relies entirely on donations to keep the service up and running - with volunteers having to find nearly £4,000 each year to fund the station.

But the volunteers work tirelessly to make sure the programmes stay on air, helping to fundraise in their spare time as well as visiting the patients to take their song requests, which also makes sure they get at least one visitor each day.

Forty-five-year-old Adrian has volunteered at the station for over one year and finds time to fit in his work at the hospital between his busy schedule - which includes russian martial arts, a Churchwarden at St Edmunds Church in Dudley, a member of a paranormal investigation group, as well as his day job at Royal Sun Alliance.

But Adrian's enthusiasm for the microphone shines through as he takes to the airwaves to entertain the staff and patients and as the jingle "just when you need a friend, we are here" plays out across the hospital - the broadcasters demonstrate what a vital service the radio show is to the hundreds lying in the wards.

Adrian said: "It is good fun, you get a kick out of it - it is all about giving something back.

"If I can bring a smile to someone's face then it is all worth it.

The station is in need of donations and volunteers so it can continue the good work.

For more information visit the website www.dudleyhospitalradio.zoomshare.com