Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette

Ruth Bradshaw visited Mike Porter’s Breakfast Show last week for the first of a regular series of chats about Hopefield Animal Sanctuary.

Ruth is the sanctuary’s new fundraising co-ordinator and will be coming in each month to tell listeners about events taking place at their premises in Sawyers Hall Lane. Hopefield has recently reopened after one of the wettest winters in living memory, and are gearing up for some special celebrations to celebrate their 35th birthday which are earmarked for the bank holiday weekend of 6/7 May.

The interview can be heard again at phoenixfm.com.

Elsewhere we enjoyed a first successful meeting of The Phoenix Family – a new informal gathering of local businesses who regularly feature on or support our community radio station. Our Drive presenter Charlie Davy popped down to chat to some of our local entrepreneurs and then played out the interviews during his show.

The next event is scheduled to take place at Shenfield Cricket Club on Thursday 10 May from 12pm-2pm. If you are interested in coming along you can call Steven Roach on 07952 498009. We also have a new Twitter account for the event @ThePhoenixFam if you like getting your information that way!

** Many more guests coming up in the next seven days including TV and film actor Eddie Webber who will be visiting Tony Smith on his Sunday Lunch show.

** There’s also lots of live music lined up too including sessions in the studio from Natalia Marrokin, Keeley Smith and Melvin Ashong.