A volunteer-driven hospital radio station in Northumberland and North Tyneside, Northumberland Hospital Radio (NHR), is honouring its 50th anniversary.

The registered charity, which broadcasts 24/7, provides accessible programming for patients, consisting of a mixture of easy listening music, news, and talk-radio style segments.

Patients can tune in for free via their bedside entertainment unit.

Northumberland Hospital Radio, though independently operated, forms a part of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's voluntary service.

For their half-century milestone, NHR received a £5000 donation from the trust’s Bright Charity. The station intends to utilise this donation to update aged equipment and further broaden its services.

NHR, originally named Radio Wansbeck, was established in 1974 by the League of Friends, supported by a modest £100 grant.

In 2000, NHR made significant advancements by extending its programming to a 24-hour service, aided by the instalment of an automated PC system.

As the station neared its 30th anniversary in early 2003, it relocated to a new studio at Wansbeck General Hospital.

This development was predominantly financed by a grant from the Northern Rock Foundation.