Piece for Radio Northwick Park's 2011 magazine: Arthur

For over 40 years Radio Northwick Park has brought patient broadcasting entertainment to thousands of people at Northwick Park Hospital. However, the radio station provides more than just music, it is also a patient-visiting service.

Our volunteers go to the wards not only to take song requests from patients but to speak to them. Luckily, most patients see their family or friends during the visiting hours in the evening, even if they have little contact during the day. Unfortunately, for Arthur Aplin, his family were scattered all over the globe with relatives in France and Canada.

When he suffered a stroke his daughter-in-law contacted Radio Northwick Park to ask if our volunteers could visit him once in a while and bring him a newspaper to read. We sent volunteers to visit him almost every night to speak to him and give him some company. He was even interviewed by one of our presenters.

Arthur has since recovered and left the hospital. Here is some of his interview where he wanted to raise awareness about suffering from a stroke and the help he was given.

“I’m doing pretty well. I’m impatient to make progress and getting out the people supporting me here, the nurses and the guys working on my rehabilitation. My voice needs training as well but it’s little by little, day by day.”

On the issue of regaining movement down the side of his body that was affected he said: “Try and do it yourself and try again and again, if you’re not making much progress then perhaps get a bit of help. If you can make some progress yourself if helps personally and it shows something…well, I’m stubborn.”

Arthur was unsure about whether he had had a stroke. It was only after speaking to his daughter that he called an ambulance and was told what had happened. He urges others who may be feeling uncertain may have suddenly developed limited use down one side of their body to go to hospital and get checked.

He also reflected on his stay at Northwick Park and the help he got: “It’s appreciated, the friendship and support I have received is helping me towards recovery and getting back onto a normal basis and I hope for full physical ability in my body and your support from the radio staff that have come to see me time and time again. Some people might think you’re a pest but you’re not. I have had good support and encouragement and somehow I feel that there’s going to be a lot of positive coming out of this.”

“It works against me sometimes but in the situation I think it’s in my favour that a bit of stubbornness and to think: ‘Well, I’m not going to let this beat me’”.

For more information about Radio Northwick Park visit: www.radionorthwickpark.org

How hyperlocal could resuscitate town hall debate

A stint at the local newspaper is often seen as a mere stepping stone on the path to journalistic greatness. It is a mind-numbing chore of writing endlessly about saving pet rescue centres and village fêtes, or so I thought before I embarked on a journalism course. All of this changed after I completed a module in local government for my course. Far from a being tedious trawl, the whole experience made me realise the wealth of the material sitting outside my front door.

Given the decay of local newspapers, any aspiring journalist should consider it their duty to cover their local patch. Even if an individual does not work directly for their paper or undertake work experience there, a personal hyperlocal site or blog is still a form of journalism. The contribution is still beneficial and for those looking to build up a portfolio of work and hone their craft: it is perfect.

I know my local area inside out. It is where I grew up: it is my beat. Many local newspapers are understaffed and overstretched, to the detriment of the residents. There are so many stories out there that are just not being covered. These days there is very little reporting on court cases or council meetings.

My local paper has been in a spiralling cycle of decline for some time and whenever I get the opportunity, I try to report on local news. Each time I write something I feel a little better for supporting local news. I see my work, even if it doesn’t make it into the paper, as a way of creating important information on my local area. I am supporting my paper. I can still post a blog covering a local issue and publicise it on Twitter and Facebook.

Then there is the issue of David Cameron’s proposals to put the powers of accountability back into the hands of the people. Without a strong local press to process and deliver this information to the people, how can the electorate effectively hold local authorities to account? They can’t.

These days I follow my local papers on Twitter so I get their breaking stories as they happen. I follow my local authority, local charities, hyperlocal sites, I add councillors on Facebook. I try to keep eyes and ears open as I walk down my local high street. The camera on my phone is sufficient to capture any impromptu shots. I am by no means the ideal journalist but I am endeavouring to be.

This is my rallying call to all those who want to be journalists. There is nothing stopping us. The tools and technology to publish our work is all there. All that remains is to go out there and commit acts of journalism.