1991, the Trevor Baylis saw a tv programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa who argued that one way to stop the spread of the disease would be through education and information using radio broadcasts. Before the end of the program, He was already in his workshop and assembled the first clockwork radio.

The original prototype included a small radio, an electric motor from a toy and the winding mechanism from a music box. Patented his invention with a patent and then tried to put the product into production, but met rejection from any approaching.

But everything turned upside down when his original was featured on this BBC TV show called 'Tomorrow's World' in April 1994. With the money from investors he founded the company 'Freeplay Energy', and 1996, the Freeplay radio was awarded the BBC Design Award for best product. During the same year Baylis met Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela at a formal dinner, and traveled to Africa for the production of a documentary on his life. He was awarded the World Vision 1996 Award for Development Initiative of the Year.