Community radio station Unity 101 marked 18 years with celebration and awards ceremony - In-Common

By Charlotte Ndupuechi.

A glamorous and vibrant celebration to mark the 18th anniversary of Unity 101 Radio took place at the Novotel Southampton on Friday the 5th of January. This is an annual awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of the station’s volunteers and partners.

If you haven’t already heard of Unity 101, where have you been? It is a community radio station that broadcasts from the heart of Southampton 24 hours a day, in up to 10 different languages. But it’s much more than just a local radio station. It provides volunteer training, supports local events, promotes fire safety messages and collaborates with local schools and colleges. With so many projects going on in the area, the station really does achieve its aim of ‘bringing unity to the community’.

The warm friendly atmosphere, the food, the entertainment, and the inspirational awards made for a fabulous evening. The entertainment felt like an around-the-world trip with dancers and singers from an array of cultures and the food provided by Sanjha Catering was delicious.

The Apprenticeship Award was presented by Michael Steel, the founder of Kiwi Education to Lok’nStore for their dedication to training and there were several awards to volunteers and local schools and colleges. It was amazing to hear about the work that has been going on in the city and this was highlighted by the keynote speaker, Cllr Satvir Kaur.

Congratulations to Ram Kelly the Station Manager for receiving a very well-deserved special award in recognition for his work in community radio. And a massive well done to all the team, the volunteers, the partners, and the supporters at Unity 101. It was an inspiring evening and I cannot wait to see what will be achieved in 2024.

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