Radio Lollipop at the Mater Children’s Hospital enjoyed a live concert by local up and coming talents Zoe Giddings-Jones and Cassi Hilbers.

Zoe, 18 and Cassie, 10 chose to visit Radio Lollipop to help bring smiles to children in hospital.

“I want to inspire young people to reach for their dreams, and thought Radio Lollipop would be a great charity to visit,” Zoe said.

Zoe and Cassi played to a very enthusiastic studio audience who joined in with guitars, castanets and shakers. After the show the duo then went out to the wards to sing and hand out CD’s to the excitement of the children.

Radio Lollipop is a fully volunteer run organisation that provides care, comfort, play and entertainment to children in hospital.

Zoe and Cassi met a year ago through Youtube where they share their video clips.

“We now have the same music teacher and go to the same production studio, we’re just like sisters,” Cassi said.

Zoe lived in Papua New Guinea where she found her inspiration to sing from a passionate music teacher who taught her to immerse herself in the culture and learn songs in different languages.

Cassi’s inspiration to sing comes from her father who started singing and playing guitar with her from a young age.

Because the two girls have had such strong musical role models who have brought them a lot of joy they aim to inspire young people in the same way by visiting charitable organisations such as Radio Lollipop.

Story by Michelle Thompson

Our brave friends at Robert McAlpine have been at it again rampaging through London in this year’s grueling Rat Race.

Highs included abseiling down the side of Lords Cricket Pavilion, while the lows included swimming “David Walliams style” in the delightful Thames waters. Thankfully the team, including Southampton station’s fundraiser Lee Donnarumma, survived the 75 mile course, raising a staggering £3,700 in the process.

Radio Lollipop welcomed weary walkers to the finish line at the 2011 Walk the Test Way. Organised by Romsey Test Rotary Club, the event invites walkers of all abilities to trek a distance of between 2 and 25 miles for their chosen charity. Our very own chairman Chris Smith donned her walking boots, raising a fantastic £150 in sponsorship while DJs Mike C and Martin D were on hand with lively tunes to give participants that final burst of energy to make it past the finishing post. Stunning scenery, a gloriously sunny day and over £55,000 raised for 120 charities meant that every sore foot, blister and aching limb was worth it!

Two years in the planning culminated in a mammoth 12 hours stood on a cold and windy bridge for two Radio Lollipop volunteers. Honorary Fundraiser Lee Donnarumma and Lollipop stalwart Scott Boreham arrived in darkness ready for a 7am start at the Southampton toll bridge and left in darkness at the end of their marathon shift at 7pm. Aided throughout the day by a team of dedicated volunteers from Southampton station, they braved the biting winds, rain, even sleet to shake buckets at passing motorists and raised a whopping £2,900.