Held at a ceremony in the heart of Bedford town this November, alumnus Jose Goncalves’ radio feature ‘Fighting Fear With Hope’ was awarded the Gold prize in the CRA category of Speech & Journalism of the Year, while former Radio LaB student manager and recent graduate, Toby Crabb, also took home the Silver award for Young Person of the Year.

Jose – who graduated with his degree in Broadcast Journalism this summer – produced the programme which documented the work of Northamptonshire-based knife crime charity, Off The Streets.

Speaking about his win, Jose said: “I went to the awards without expectations and thinking that, among more than 400 entries, being a finalist was already a reason to celebrate. When I realised that Radio LaB had won the Gold, I just couldn't believe it. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and lots of things that happened throughout this year came to my mind and this was a huge reward.

“I can’t forget the amazing support of my lecturer, Terry Lee. He was outstanding throughout the process, with amazing tips on how I could improve the project – this award is his as well. And also Toby Crabb, his passion is contagious and it is really uplifting to be on his side. I see a really shiny future in the media world for Toby.”

Radio & Audio alumnus Toby was celebrating his own success, as he was presented with the Silver award for CRA’s Young Person of the Year. He said: “It was an incredible week for Radio LaB. From a personal point of view, to achieve silver at the CRA’s for Young Person of the Year is amazing, I’m still speechless and very grateful as I didn’t expect anything from the awards. A big thanks to Terry Lee and the whole Radio LaB team for the support they have always given me. Terry and the team should be very proud of all the efforts and success this year.”

Terry Lee, Senior Tutor in Radio & Audio and co-ordinator of Radio LaB, added: “Radio LaB is a student-led project and I am so proud to see our University of Bedfordshire team recognised for their hard-work and commitment in the last year. Our facilities are a great platform for volunteers to learn skills and gain valuable experiences whilst they study here.

“I hope this most recent success inspires other students, whatever they are studying, to use our community radio station to share their stories and have their say on air!”

This academic term has so far proved to be a successful month for Radio LaB as – alongside their CRAs win – the team also secured the Silver award for ‘Best Chart Show Programming’ at the 2022 Student Radio Awards.