A cash-strapped hospital radio station under threat of closure has launched a last-ditch appeal to secure more funding.

Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells, which provides 24-hour entertainment and music to patients, today launches its Big SOS Broadcast which will see it broadcast live shows for 100 hours in a bid to attract sponsorship.

Since 2011 the charity, formerly based at Kent and Sussex Hospital, has been renting privately and says its running costs have almost doubled due to rent and other bills previously covered by the NHS.

This has resulted in a shortfall of about £3,000 a year for the past five years. Unless more can be found the station will have to give up the lease on the premises in Grosvenor Road in September 2017.

Station Manager Chris Manser said: “This event is possibly our last opportunity to raise the extra income we need to keep going, the service has been running for 55 years and while the team of volunteers remain enthusiastic, the mountain we have been climbing to increase the income from around £5,000 a year in 2011 to about £12,000 now has been very challenging. We remain determined to try and keep going”.

The broadcast began on December 28 and will run until 4pm on January 1st 2017.

You can donate to the appeal by clicking here.