BBC Radio Stoke, the local radio staion for North & mid-Staffordshire as well as South Cheshire, is making a habit of picking up awards.

As Deepa Pathak explains, the latest are two at this year's "Gillards".

Gillard Winners! Judges declare the winners for diversity - playing examples of the station's output - at the award ceremony. You need Real Player to hear this. Click for BBC's RP download guide

The (already award winning) Inside Lives series won a bronze in the 'interactive' category, and the station scooped a gold in the 'diversity' category, which looks at how well stations serve all the communities in their area.

Inside Lives
The radio station's interactive project Inside Lives provides a 2 minute radio production written and recorded by people that live in the Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Individuals are taught how to write record and edit a story on a topic of their choice without the help of a journalist: thus handing over the tools of radio to communities themselves.

Gillards
The Frank Gillard Awards are exclusively for BBC Local Radio in England.
Their purpose is to recognise excellence, and spread awareness of good creative programming ideas.

Diversity
The judges were looking for the way in which the station recognises the different communities, especially minority groups, that make up up the varied population in its editorial area.

BBC Radio Stoke's Diversity Examples of diversity in broadcasts on BBC Radio Stoke You need Real Player to hear this. Click for BBC's RP download guide