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BBC WM's coverage of its Kidney Kids Appeal, which was set up to raise £1.5m for a renal unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, has won a prestigious 'gold' radio award.

The station's appeal won the Community Award at the Frank Gillard Awards, on 8 October, 2009, in Nottingham.

Recieving treatment at BCH

So far more than £1.3m has been raised towards the appeal since it was launched on 14 July 2008.

'Great partnership'

Accepting the award, BBC WM assistant editor Jeremy Pollock said: "The award goes to everyone at BBC WM, Birmingham Children's Hospital and to the thousands of people involved in the appeal who all helped to make it happen.

"It goes to show that a great partnership goes a long way."

The Community Award rewards a station's active engagement with its audience in inspiring people to make a difference to everyday life in their area. 

Birmingham Children's Hospital

Chairman of BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, told the awards ceremony that judges said the award reflected the station's role as a major player in people's lives.

Renal Unit

Thousands of people have been taking part in and organising exciting events to raise funds to help the station reach its target.

Birmingham Children's Hospital Renal Unit is recognised as a leading centre of its kind and delivers the highest standards of care every day. However the Renal Unit is currently housed on the ground floor of a 1960s annex.

The Hospital's unit treats children with a range of kidney problems, and 1,500 young patients visit the nephrology and urology department every year to receive dialysis and other treatments, including transplants.

Cambell is a BBC WM Kidney Kid

Driving force

BBC WM's Andrew Peach also picked up a Bronze Award for Faith programming for bringing religious issues, ideas and events to life for listeners.   

The 'Gillards' is a national awards ceremony for BBC local radio stations. It is named after Frank Gillard, a distinguished BBC war correspondent who later became managing director for BBC radio and who is considered the driving force behind the creation of local radio in the 1960s.