Another Award for Our Radio

2 June 2009

Clifton Diocese has been honoured with another broadcasting award.  Last night (1 June) our podcast about a man’s journey following the death of his wife received a Sandford St Martin Trust Award recognising excellence in religious broadcasting. 

‘Let Us Pod – Bereavement’ was given a merit award which was received by producer Mary Colwell and Peter Hobbs, the man who so vividly and honestly told his story.  Peter’s personal reflection looked at his life and faith since 2002 when his wife Caroline was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She died in 2004.

Peter Hobbs said: “To be honest I asked to come to these awards simply to see the inside of Lambeth Palace, and when I got into the drawing room and saw the collection of talent all short-listed for TV and radio awards I thought we’d be there very much as spectators, so to be the first award out of the hat was an amazing and wonderful surprise.  

“I’m delighted to say that when I listened to the recording again my overwhelming sense was ‘Wow, I’m in such a different place from that!  How did I get here?’  It seems to have happened so gradually that I didn’t notice but suddenly on the evening I was struck by the fact that I’m no longer in the valley!  God has blessed me so much since then!  Here I am in amazing surroundings with lovely friends and my wonderful fiancé and the future looking utterly different from the one I described in the podcast.   I’d love to reassure people who are still in the midst of grief that one day it will pass.  If we let God in and trust in His wisdom and strength when ours has failed He will not fail us.”

The Sandford St Martin win is the third broadcasting award given to ‘Let Us Pod – Bereavement’.  Last year it won a Christian Broadcasting Council gold and best internet audio at the Jerusalem Radio Awards.  And only last month a Sony Gold Radio Award was presented to Mary Colwell for ‘The Prisoner and the Budgerigar’.

The Sandford St Martin Trust was set up in 1978 to encourage excellence in religious broadcasting.  Last night’s ceremony which took place in Lambeth Palace honoured top television output as well as radio.

The radio judges were Gillian Hush MBE, former BBC Radio producer (chairman); Ron Coles, pioneering local radio producer; and the Reverend Martin Short, Chaplain to the Bishop in Canterbury.