Julie Hill, director of the charity Women's Radio Group, has died of cancer at the age of 61. A constant champion of women's voices on air and in radio production, Julie's work covered both the very local and the global. Born in New Zealand, she came to the UK in the 1960s. 

Her media career took her across the world, training women for media participation in numerous countries including Somalia, Benin, Namibia, Hungary, Thailand and China. She worked with organisations including USAID, Radio Netherlands Training Centre and World Space Foundation. She was also an advisor on media and gender issues for The British Council and for the international NGO Change. During the 1980s she worked for the original National Broadcasting School, before joining Women's Radio Group as director in 1990.

Under her leadership Women's Radio Group continued to grow and provide support, opportunities and resources for women interested in creative arts and radio production. Over the years, Julie has helped many women find their way in broadcasting. An early WRG activity, of which she was particularly proud, was Celebration Radio, one of the first short-term radio broadcasts for women, which took place over one riotous week in 1994 from the old St. George’s Church/Theatre in Tufnell Park, North London. 

Since then she has developed training courses and opportunities for women in partnership with many community organisations, in particular with the Panjabi Centre in West London. She also had a keen interest in presenting the arts through radio, working with Riverside Studios to run two short-term broadcasts, and later with Actors and Writers London (AWL), helping to develop radio drama tutorials and online support materials.

She was a member of the Radio Academy and for several years was on the Council of the Community Media Association. During the 1990s she was also Chair of the Media Action Group at NAWO, the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations, working to get more representation of women and women in politics onto the UK media.

Through her enormous commitment to radio over many years she has helped so many women to develop their potential and to find a voice in the media world. In addition to her enormous professional contribution, the personal relationships she developed alongside her work are treasured by those who were privileged to know her. Her positivity and generosity of spirit will be greatly missed by all her friends and colleagues in Women’s Radio Group and beyond.

~ 

From Estelle Lovatt, Chair of Women's Radio Group:
Julie was WRG.  What she has done for women and radio has been exceptional.  So many women owe their ‘voice’ and radio career to her efforts, encouragement and teaching.  The airwaves are a much better place for Julie’s remarkable hard work.

From Elinor Malcolm:
I met Julie I can't remember how many years ago when I was editing the local west London magazine The Green and over the years we collaborated on several features promoting WRG in both The Green and my later title WestSide. Thanks to Julie, I had my first taste of manning a deck when she invited me to join in with Riverside FM, in the first year as a guest on Jacqui Oatley's show (that was safe!) but latterly presenting a programme - with no experience, and riddled with terror about pushing the wrong button. However, Julie's confidence was infectious and I am sure plenty of other people have felt the benefit of her 'can do' attitude. Luckily I had the support of some brilliantly patient, technically adept youngsters who saved my bacon, but it was a tribute to Julie (and Helen Rowe's) work at the Riverside that so many young people who wouldn't otherwise have had a chance to try their hand in radio were given the opportunity, and proved what stars they were. I certainly didn't prove to be a star, but will be forever grateful to Julie for giving me the chance to have a go - and being so positive and reassuring every step of the way.  She was such a delight to know and so inspiring professionally.

From Deborah Kingsland:
Julie was such a wonderful inspiring dynamo. My first memory of her is of the RSL (Celebration Radio) in 1994. My partner had just died in tragic circumstances and I was devastated and found it hard to concentrate on anything, but Julie's energy and enthusiasm for the RSL somehow transmitted itself to me and I got caught up in a wonderful week, producing and sometimes presenting the breakfast show. Julie was one of the most inspiring women I have met.  In sympathy.

From Elohor Pedro Knowles:
I am so very sorry to hear the sad news about Julie. Although I never got to know her well I am indebted to her and all the other people involved in running WRG, as it was at Riverside FM that I had my first opportunities to develop skills in radio programming, which I am now using to build a freelance career. I was also able to extend that opportunity to others by getting them involved in my show at Riverside FM in 2004.  I hope Julie knew the impact that her work has had on a great many people.

From Harriet Grant:
It's so upsetting to lose someone who did so much to inspire others. I will never forget my Women's Radio Course and how it filled me with the belief that I really could work in radio - in fact it's true to say it completely changed my life. The last time I saw Julie she was very excited because I was asking her advice about working in media for development - she was telling me how much she absolutely loved it and she seemed to have about twenty projects on the go. I really can't think of many other people I've met who can have enriched so many people's lives by encouraging them to fulfill their potential.

From Caroline Hartley Brown:
Julie was a wonderful, honest, funny woman who played a huge part in my life when I was hoping to work in radio.  She certainly helped shape Harriet's life (we still talk about our WRG time) and no doubt many other women's lives who wanted to work in radio.  She taught us on the WRG group in Acton and then also opened her home to us for further training and growth.  I have very fond memories of sitting round her dining room table, scribbling down running orders, surrounded by notebooks, wine, bread and cheese as we planned Riverside FM.

From Hansa Shah:
Indeed it is very sad news. My encounter with Julie Hill was very short but sweet. My memory of her is that she was sweet, polite, soft spoken, very kind and understanding. She was very patient in training, especially when we students came from all walks of like and background. I shall always cherish her as a kind, compassionate and thoughtful human being.

From Snéha, Blue Tulip Training:
I met Julie about 5 years ago when she ran a 3 day programme on Radio Presentations. She then invited me to become involved with the Riverside Summer Radio which I enjoyed thoroughly. Being new to the world of radio presentations, she was so supportive and generous with her ideas.  I admired Julie a lot, her wonderful ability to include everyone and her organisational skills. My special memories of her include having dinner with her one evening - the sharing and the laughter. The other memory that I will hold dear is when I entered the reception of Riverside Studios one day and she was oblivious to everything around, her focus, attention and her energy was on her grandchild. I especially loved the relationship she had with her daughter.

From Carol Stone:
I had not seen Julie for a while but have always been pleased to meet her and I am glad to have known her. 

From Annabel Pearcey:
The news shocked me as I remember Julie as being a larger than life, dynamic woman  who could take on numerous challenges in the cause of women's radio. I hope that she didn't suffer too much. I also hope that WRG continues to go from strength  to strength -  giving  all women a voice -  as I think that this is the best testimony to the pioneering work in which Julie was so instrumental.

From Satbir Chawla:
I only came to know Julia over the period of my training course but those few meetings were enough to know her as a person and as a tutor. She came across as a very lively and fun person to work with. She will definitely be missed by everyone.

A tribute to Julie Hill from Lesley Abdela:
I don’t remember how I first met Julie, but I know that as far back as 1994 she and I were in Poland conducting workshops for budding future women politicians and civil society activists in the new democracies. Julie led sessions on how to give effective interviews to TV and radio. We were sponsored by Project Liberty at the Kennedy School of Government Harvard University . Later as part of the Project Parity sponsored by the EU Phare Democracy Programme we travelled in Central Europe several times, conducting workshops on women’s participation in democratic politics through media NGOs and politics. We were together in Hungary in 1997. She was always a good person with whom to travel, never complaining about the sometimes spartan living conditions and full of interesting anecdotes and a warm sense of humour about herself. I remember one particular story she told me about how she had to handle an embarrassing situation when she managed to get accidently locked out of her hotel bedroom somewhere in Africa in nothing but her panties. 
 
A major reason why the participants at all the courses she conducted admired and appreciated Julie was because she was not only thoroughly professional but friendly and encouraging and supportive.  In addition to her own pioneering visions she was one of those rare people who was always receptive to challenging new ideas. I can remember several occasions when Julie visited my home to discuss new projects - many of which never came into being because of the constant difficulty of trying to get sufficient funding. 
 
When I was Political Editor for Radio Viva it was great fun working with Julie on Lynne Franks’ pioneer London Radio Station targeted at women listeners. 
 
Here in UK I enjoyed preparing a couple of hours interviews with women leaders in business and politics, including politician Shirley Williams, for Julie’s amazing pioneering week-long Celebration Radio run from somewhere in North London . I was constantly amazed at her professionalism – even when faced with limited resources she managed a live-link with newly elected senior women politicians in South Africa as part of our 2 hour session on air. By then she must have been exhausted from the enormous efforts of coordinating such an ambitious undertaking but she still managed to be ever professional, courteous and encouraging. 
 
Julie was successful in getting really innovative projects funded and up and running in ways that empowered women and men from marginalized communities. The last time I took part in any of Julie’s ventures was as an interviewee for Riverside FM. One of my abiding memories of Julie is looking across at her with her head-phones on her head and her friendly encouraging smile.