Bucketts Radio Comes of Age - Full-time licence awarded

A full-time Community Broadcast Licence was granted to Bucketts Radio on 21 March 2024. We have now come of age in the radio world! We need to thank all in the community and the volunteers at Bucketts Radio who have worked hard and so generously helped us get to this point. Our Broadcast reach has increased four-fold in the past ten months, since the antennae went up at Kia Ora Lookout, alongside Breeze, the ABC and 2RE. It is very encouraging to be receiving emails and comments from listeners. Bucketts Radio has kept the membership fee at a low rate for the past eight years. Membership is due at the end of June. This year a decision has been made to increase the annual fee to $25. On the reverse of this newsletter is a membership form for you to complete. A direct deposit can be made at the Regional Bank, please use your name as reference, or you can drop your membership with the completed form into our studio.

Broadcasting from Kia-Ora on 104.1FM

Great News!!  104.1FM Bucketts Radio is now transmitting from the top of Kia-Ora Lookout.  General Communications connected our studios in the Majestic Arcade with the new transmitter site August 4.

 

Thanks to the many people and organisations who contributed to this project.

 

This project is made possible with the generous support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.  Find out more at cbf.org.au.

 

"We hope you will enjoy listening around our region with a much further reaching and clearer signal."

 

 

 

Local woman designs medical device to solve feeding tube woes

Healthtech startup EzyAid launches crowdfunding campaign to support clinical trial

October 2022: The founders of EzyAid, a revolutionary feeding tube adhesive, are seeking funding support for a clinical trial in the neonatal unit at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW.

EzyAid founders Adam Geosits of Singleton and Jess Hay of Gloucester developed the new feeding tube adhesive after they experienced, first-hand, the difficulties of trying to attach a feeding tube to their baby. Adam and Jess’s son Matty was born with a rare condition called MED-13L Syndrome which meant he had to be tube fed for the first two years of his life.

Jess says, “Matty was always pulling his tube out and the adhesive was just not sticking. We had to constantly change the tape – it was a difficult and traumatic process for everyone, but especially for Matty. Our design is simple to use and is a major improvement on the current feeding tube system that takes multiple pieces of sports tape and two people to install.”

EzyAid, a slimline, transparent feeding tube adhesive that can be applied by one person, has been in development for eight years. After working through two patents, developing a working prototype, undertaking a mini trial evaluation at John Hunter Hospital, and sourcing a manufacturer in America, they have spent $100,000, mostly of their own money.

Jess says, “We won a $30K Beyond Bank grant a few years back, as well as an MVP grant from NSW Government and a smaller Pozible campaign at the start from friends and family but the rest has been funded by us and we have not paid ourselves anything. EzyAid has been driven purely by passion to help other people who are tube fed as our own son is no longer tube fed. The costs have mostly been patent fees, design, and prototype which Design Anthology Newcastle completed and company registration.

“There has been no blueprint for getting our product to market so there has been a bit of trial and error.

“The next stage of the process is to get TGA approval, get the product into a clinical trial at John Hunter Hospital and then step through commercialisation and distribution. This is going to cost upwards of $200K, which is why we are asking for support.

"We are also open to the idea of partnering with a medical company, selling the product or accepting financial assistance from a venture capitalist or philanthropist to get EzyAid to market as soon as possible, and to start helping tube fed people, their families and health professionals” says Jess.

In terms of the medical efficacy of the product, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Justine Parsons, says, “In my role as the Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Neonatal intensive Care Unit of John Hunter Children’s Hospital, I often review new products on the market. I have been working with Adam and Jess for some time now with regards to the EzyAid tube fixation device, offering clinical expertise and practical ideas.

“It has been wonderful watching the development of the product and seeing the commitment and passion that they have for improving care for infants and children requiring long term tube placement. I wholeheartedly believe that the EzyAid has the potential to be a staple product in healthcare facilities, as well as for use in the community. I am happy to continue to support Jess and Adam as they progress this product through to market.”

In addition to babies that need feeding tubes, EzyAid can also be used for the elderly, cleft palate patients, cancer patients, patients with cardiovascular disease, patients with feeding issues associated with stroke, anorexia, dementia, diabetics, cystic fibrosis sufferers and animals requiring surgery and sedation and many other reasons.

Will you help Jess and Adam get their product to market?

To support the development of this simple but extremely effective piece of medical equipment, please visit https://readyfundgo.com/project/ezyaid/.

Homelessness Week is August 1 - 7 - Day 5

Homeless Week interview with Amber Galvin of Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group (Day 5) - Listen to the Interview here.

Homelessness Week is August 1 - 7 - Day 4

Homeless Week interview with Amber Galvin of Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group (Day 4) - Listen to the Interview here.

Homelessness Week is August 1 - 7 - Day 3

Homeless Week interview with Amber Galvin of Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group (Day 3) - Listen to Interview here.