A Glasgow-based radio station has been crowned the Community Station of the Year.

RNIB Connect Radio was established by the sight loss charity RNIB to provide news, entertainment, and information to blind and partially sighted people across the UK.

The accolade was part of the 2024 Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS), an annual event that recognises and honours outstanding shows and their teams.

The Community Station of the Year award celebrates stations that are rooted in the interest of the community they serve.

Glasgow Times: Yvonne and Allan smile wide as they hold up the award

More than 1,000 entries were submitted and judged by more than 200 senior audio and radio practitioners.

Yvonne Milne, head of RNIB Connect Radio, said: “We are so incredibly thrilled to have won a gold ARIAS award.

"RNIB Connect Radio aims to centre voices from the blind and partially sighted community as well as provide a wide range of information and programming for people with no or low vision and to be honoured with this award means so much to us at the station.

“My thanks to go to all our talented volunteers and staff who work so hard to create excellent content every single day as well as to judges and The Radio Academy for recognising RNIB Connect Radio is this way.

"We are beyond delighted."

The station, which commemorated its 20th anniversary in 2023, began as an internet radio to provide essential information to aid individuals with sight loss to live optimally.

The station has grown to reach 90,000 listeners, with its podcast being downloaded more than 20,000 times every month.

It has a staff of 12 presenters, all of whom have sight loss.

The ARIAS ceremony took place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London on May 7.

It was hosted by Alice Levine and Romesh Ranganathan.

RNIB Connect Radio serves a community that can be hard to reach, potentially isolated, and undersupplied with information and opportunities.

Additionally, it has commitments towards its secondary audience which includes family, friends, employers, and professionals involved in the sight loss sector and associated areas.

Some of the station's highlights over the years include interviewing Stevie Wonder about the importance of braille in his life, Sophie The Duchess of Edinburgh about the work of the station, and speaking with the blind and partially sighted people about their challenges, lives and aspirations.