Saffron Building Society has donated £1,000 from the 2021 Community Fund to help fund new equipment for a charity that provides music and entertainment to Essex hospitals.

Radio Forest Community Broadcasting has been serving the NHS since 1976 and is on-air at Saffron Walden Community Hospital, The Derwent Centre in Harlow, St Margaret's Hospital in Epping and Brentwood Community Hospital.

It also has Classic Hits Forest Gold, the flagship station based in Epping which broadcasts to thousands of listeners in Essex and beyond.

It is run by a loyal team of over 30 volunteers.

Deborah Smart, presenter of the Late Show, and volunteer at Radio Forest said: “The donation from Saffron Building Society means that we have been able to buy vital new equipment which means we can keep providing our services to the hospitals we broadcast to.

"That was at risk, so we are hugely grateful for the support and anyone else interested in supporting us can email studio@forestgoldradio.com.”

Claire Hunnable, Saffron Building Society's community business partner, said: “We are proud to support the technical needs of the this charity’s team of dedicated volunteers.”

To tune into Radio Forest, services are available via www.forestgoldradio.com, search for Forest Gold Radio on the Tune In radio app, or ask your smart speaker to play Forest Gold Radio.

December marks a decade of Saffron Building Society’s Community Fund.

It is managed by Essex Community Foundation, and has given out £13,578 this year, taking total donations to over £100,000.

This money has benefitted over 55 charities across East Anglia since the fund began in December 2001.