Tag: radio

Charity Highlights: Our 2025 Christmas Contributions

I trust you all had a good Christmas and enjoyed time with family and friends. At the time of writing, we are between Christmas and New Year, which is always the time of year when you lose all track of days and dates. Why is that? We are preparing to leave for the UK for a quick visit, with my youngest son having to return early for football training.

I wanted to update you on a couple of charity events that we’ve been involved with. A few weeks ago, I interviewed Charlie Quirke, the son of actress Pauline Quirke, who was walking 140 km in five days for Alzheimer’s Research UK. He completed the walk and, to date, has raised an amazing £273,147.00!

The charity wrote:

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much to everyone who sent Charlie a message, shared on social media and donated. He couldn’t have done it without you all. We will be going into 2026 full of hope for the future and hope for a cure.”

One of the main reasons for my return to the radio with Wave Mallorca was to restart our push to help charities on the island and beyond. All the way through the year, we help promote charity events on air, and in June we held our own Radiothon. Another important time of year to help people is at Christmas.

We’d like to thank everyone who helped us along the way.

Everyone who donated money, with special mention to Helen at Martial Arts Mallorca, Mark Millward, and Hooties Golf Society.

All the people who helped us with our raffle — whether you sold or bought tickets or donated a prize.

The three auction prize donors and the people who won them.

Nice Price and Eroski Bendinat, who allowed us to carry out food collections outside their shops. Nick from Yachting Gives Back for organising it, and the volunteers who gave up their time to help us.

We managed to fill a van and a car full of food for the homeless.

Quentin Theander from Mallorca Christmas Trees donated two Christmas trees to Llar Kurt and Llar Inge, who look after homeless people. 

The three charities that we helped in different ways were Yachting Gives Back, Fundación Nazaret, and SOS Animal Mallorca.

Nick from Yachting Gives Back said:

“Many thanks from all of us at YGB to all the team at Wave Mallorca and all your generous listeners and sponsors for your great support. The money raised will fund several of the monthly shopping trips we do for our chosen local charities.

Merry Christmas!”

Guillem from Fundación Nazaret said:

“Very good morning, and thousands of thanks to all the listeners for the vouchers for all the children and young people of Nazaret, but especially super thanks for remembering them. That makes them feel that they are important to someone, despite not being able to enjoy Christmas with their families. For all this, thank you very much and happy holidays!”

Maxi from SOS Animal Mallorca said:

“Thank you so much for your initiative to help the animals of SOS Animal, and also to your listeners. With the food donation, our cats and dogs will also have a Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks a lot to all of you, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

Thanks again to everyone who helped us. We look forward to 2026 with even more enthusiasm to help more people both here and beyond.

Wave Mallorca Radiothon: 36 Hours for Charity

Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st of June are the dates for our Wave Mallorca Radiothon. We start at 7 a.m. on Friday morning and won’t stop until 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. That’s 36 hoursthat Ayesha and I will broadcast live and non-stop.

In 2015, Jo from our then radio office asked Ayesha and me on the Breakfast Show if we would consider broadcasting for 24 hours for charity. The challenge was duly accepted, and the Radiothon was born. For the first two years, we raised money to support the Pirates Charity Premiere and their chosen charities. When the Premiere ended in 2016, we decided to keep the fundraising going, and in 2019, we extended the hours of broadcasting from 24 to 36 hours.

The money we raise each year is equally divided among our chosen charities.

The following charities have benefited from our previous Radiothons:

• 2015: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, the Paediatric Ward of Son Espases Hospital, Salvation Army, and Shambhala Foundation.

Total raised: 18,100.20€

• 2016: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, the Paediatric Ward of Son Espases Hospital, Calvia Lions, and Help for Heroes.

Total raised: 24,474.18€

• 2017: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, SOS Animal Mallorca, Fundacion Nazareth, and Club Vidalba.

Total raised: 23,384.60€

• 2018: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, Asociacion Ondine, and Feliz Animal Andratx.

Total raised: 14,878.50€

• 2019: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, ASPANOB, and ASDICA.

Total raised: 25,363.11€

• 2020: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, Yachting Gives Back, and Cancer Support Group Mallorca.

Total raised: 30,948.82€

• 2021: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Yachting Gives Back, Santa Ponsa Food Bank, and SOS Calvia.

Total raised: 33,217.02€

• 2022: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases, Cancer Support Mallorca, and Help for Ukraine.

Total raised: 27,163.49€

Total raised so far: 197,529.92€

We took a break for a couple of years, and I’m pleased to say we are back, aiming to pass 200,000€and raise as much money as possible.

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Charities We Support Every Year

Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital (GOSH)

My relationship with GOSH dates back to 2004 through my work with Pirates and the Pirates Charity Premieres. When the Premieres ended in 2016, I continued our support for GOSH through the Radiothons. I’ve “run” the London Marathon twice for them, in 2008 and 2010, raising £10,867.00.

Through the Premieres and Radiothons, I am very proud to say we have now raised a total of 763,185.10€ for GOSH, which has supported many important projects over the years.

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Son Espases Hospital

Our support has focused on the paediatric department and the children’s intensive care unit. Our most recent project helped fund the construction of a new rehabilitation unit for children. Other contributions include:

• Decorating an MRI scanner and its room

• Adding cartoon characters to the ward doors

• Creating a new waiting room for parents of ICU patients

• Funding numerous smaller projects

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Cancer Support Mallorca

Cancer Support Group Mallorca (CSG) is a registered association supporting the international community in Mallorca. Their mission is to help patients, carers, and anyone affected by cancer by:

• Reducing stress

• Empowering people with a sense of control

• Enhancing self-esteem

• Combating loneliness through connection

• Providing practical assistance

Rebecca, Bronwen, and their team of volunteers do an outstanding job supporting cancer sufferers on the island.

If you or a loved one is facing cancer, please reach out — they’re here to help.

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Yachting Gives Back

Yachting Gives Back is a registered charity that enables the yachting industry — including both yachts and service companies — to help alleviate poverty and hunger in Mallorca.

They support at least 10 different charities, including food banks and shelters. Thanks to your help, we’ve raised money, collected food at supermarkets, and even provided Christmas trees to shelters. Nick and his team do amazing work, and we’re proud to support them again.

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6Points Cycling Challenges

6Points Cycling Challenges was conceived by Bryan Visser in 2016 as a personal charity ride around Mallorca. The aim was to complete a challenging but enjoyable route around the island, taking in stunning views, countryside, mountains, and sea.

They focus on supporting a small number of charities to ensure a big impact:

• Asdica: Supporting young disabled people and their families in Calvià to help them live as normal a life as possible

• Shambhala: Providing education, opportunities, and growth for young people at risk of social exclusion

• SOS Animal: A long-standing non-profit helping stray dogs and cats in Mallorca since 1995

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How You Can Help

There are plenty of ways to get involved and support our chosen charities:

• Sponsor an hour and join us in the studio

• Challenge us to do something for donations

• Challenge yourself to do something for donations

• Offer a prize for our auction or raffle

• Bid on our auction

• Buy a raffle ticket

• Request a song for a minimum of 5€

• Or simply Just Donate!

We would love to see as many people as possible at our studios in Palma.

We’re located at:

Francisco Rover 1, 07003 Palma

It’s on the outskirts of the city centre, and there is usually parking available.

If you’d like any more information please call or what’s app me on 0034 670 704 311. Thank you. 

Launching Wave Mallorca: A New Radio Experience

Radio has been a passion of mine since I was a child. You have to remember I’m of an age that is way before the World Wide Web, mobile phones, Social Media, YouTube and Sky TV had started. 

My go-to stations when I was younger were BBC Radio 2 for the football, Radio 1 and Capital Radio for music. My two favourite DJs were Chris Evans and Steve Wright. That’s now moved onto Talksport, BBC Radio 5 Live for the sport and Radio 2 and Virgin Radio for music. 

After spending my life working as a Redcoat, a Holiday Rep and at Pirates, I had dallied in DJing but nothing really significant. Until I was asked to go onto an island radio station called Luna Radio back in the mid 2000s. That was the catalyst to launch Radio One Mallorca back in 2012 which we sold in 2019, and I finished working with them in June 2023.

Back in February last year, I wrote the following, “Steve Wright to me was the G.O.A.T. and the King of afternoon radio. Like Terry Wogan or to me, Chris Evans was to breakfast. It’s made me think that my time in radio isn’t over just yet. A better work, health and family balance and I will be back in the future.” 

So after a short stint on Radio One Mallorca just before Christmas, my colleague Jo and I decided it was time to open our own radio station and I will be back on breakfast on our new station Wave Mallorca from this Monday. 

The station will have a dynamic mix of current and classic hits. We will look to embrace the local community with our presenters and DJ’s, Des Mitchell, Izzy Newman, Charles Nutter plus Jo and me of course. All of us have lived on the island for over 25 years, so we will bring you all the local news and events. I am really pleased that my former Radio Wife Ayesha Wood will be back with me at least once a week on the breakfast show. 

With radio now readily available around the world, we will keep you all up to date wherever you’re listening with what’s happening on our island on a daily basis. 

Charity will also be a very important part of the station, that will see the return of our Radiothon which has raised just under €200,000 for good causes. Also, our Christmas campaign helping those in need here on the island. We will be happy to help promote other charity events, so please get in touch. 

If you’d like to hear about our Sponsorships, feature sponsorships, advertising campaigns, presenter reads and competition prizes. We have something to suit all budgets. Please get in touch, Call: 0034 670 704 311 or email: sales@wavemallorca.com

See you on Monday morning from 07.00! 

Steve Wright in the Afternoon A Tribute

I grew up in a time before the World Wide Web, mobile phones, Social Media, You Tube and Sky TV, I know unbelievable isn’t it? The only live football game we were able to watch was the FA Cup Final in May. Match of the Day was on a Saturday night and The Big Match was on a Sunday afternoon, with both showing highlights of the weekends games. My love of football was strong then and I kept in touch with it by listening to BBC Radio 2 or Sport on 2 as it was known. Renton Laidlaw was the presenter with Bryon Butler and Peter Jones the commentators and the full-time results were read by James Alexander Gordon. I think probably this was where my love of radio started. 

I wouldn’t say I was a huge music fan, I would listen to Radio 1 but it wasn’t something I religiously tuned into like I did with sport. That was until March 1981 when a new show started in the afternoons on Radio 1 from 2pm until 5pm. It was called Steve Wright in the Afternoon and it was about to change radio forever. Sadly I sit here today to pay tribute to the man that was the soundtrack to our afternoons. 

I was of course listening to the radio when I heard the tragic news of his passing. It came as quite a shock and it felt like I had lost a member of my family. Steve Wright in the Afternoon was totally different than anything heard before on radio. He brought Zoo radio to our ears. A live radio show which consists of two or more presenters, music, chat, guest interviews, characters, an audience phone-in and competitions delivered in a spontaneous, comic way. Steve’s “posse” as they were known were Janey Lee Grace, Tim Smith with the traffic news coming from firstly Sally Boazman(aka Sally Traffic) and from 2014, Bobbi Pryor. One of the most memorable parts of the shows for me were the characters and I’ve got very nostalgic this past week listening back to some of them. 

Probably my favourite was Sid the manager, “Hello Boy, Sid here” and the sign off would always be , “I’ll speak to you later, Hello?” I can still hear the voice now. A very good friend of mine Ian and I still answer the phone to each other by saying “hello boy!”

Mr Mad “he’s not mad he’s raving mad!”

Mick Jagger, voiced so  impressively by Phil Cornwall who said that he’d heard Jagger himself had said that he’d once heard himself on radio and that he couldn’t remember speaking to Steve Wright. 

Mr Angry from Purley, “I’m so angry I’m going to throw this phone down!”

Old Woman was played by Joyce Frost who was an actual old woman who sadly passed away in 2016. At one point Steve was asked to drop the character because of “stereotyping”, however Joyce stepped in and said she would be devastated if she lost her role on the show.

Others that featured were, Damian the social worker, Gervais the hairdresser, John Bole, Barry from Watford, Elvis with the feature Ask Elvis and so many more.

Steve had great features which held the show together. Things like “It’s another true story” which then became Factoids. In fact he could even make the weather sound fun and interesting. His preparation was second to none, it became his life. His fellow DJ Paul Gambaccini said Steve would finish his show on a Friday and fly to America and be back on Sunday just so he could listen to American radio shows for ideas and content. He would holiday there too and drive around in a car just listening to different radio stations. 

After his move from Radio 1 to Radio 2, Steve Wright in the Afternoon was to become The Big Show. Not in any pretentious way it just was the biggest and by far the best.  On July 1st 2022, Wright announced on air that the show would end in September 2022, as Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas “wanted to do something different in the afternoons”. The final show was broadcast on September 30th. He took it so well and continued his other show Sunday Love Songs which he used to pre-record. It was a show my Wife would listen to and even when you heard it you could hear it still had that Steve Wright fun element. 

My only regret is I didn’t listen enough in his latter years as I’d discovered Hawksbee & Jacobs on Talksport who were on at the same time. 

However on BBC sounds you can find a collection of programmes and podcasts where you can hear Steve doing what he loved best, interviewing some of the biggest stars in the World.

Steve Wright to me was the G.O.A.T. and the King of afternoon radio. Like Terry Wogan or to me Chris Evans was to Breakfast. It’s  made me think that my time in radio isn’t over just yet. A better work, health and family balance and I will be back in the future. 

Richie is the MD at Pirates, the islands number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos.

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com