SOMER Valley FM has been awarded Gold at this year’s Community Radio Awards for The Ukrainian Show, receiving the first-ever Voices for All Award.

Launched for 2025 this new category celebrates programming that amplifies underrepresented voices and fosters inclusion through local radio.

The weekly show, hosted by Vira Niskoromnykh, has become a space for cultural exchange, storytelling, and community connection since its launch.

Through interviews, music, and conversation, The Ukrainian Show brings together Ukrainians who have made the UK their temporary home and introduces local listeners to their experiences, traditions, and spirit.

Vira said, “Thank you so much for this award. It means a lot to us all involved with the programme to know it is heard and appreciated.

The Ukrainian show for me is an opportunity to introduce Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture to the British, to share my feelings, to present the stories of individuals, to thank the British for their help and support.”

In presenting the award, Rebecca Steers, founder of the Community Radio Awards, revealed that the judges were deeply impressed, she said: “The submission has real sparkle: personality, engagement, audience relevance, and an uplifting spirit. It is faultless. It is an outstanding piece of community radio.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the show, Somer Valley FM’s founder and executive director, Dom Chambers, thanked those who had made the project possible, including the charity Sound Vision, station director Pete Helmore, and Bath & North East Somerset Council for their ongoing support.

Dom said:“Vira Niskoromnykh, our Vira if you like, is an amazing person. She has created a community through community radio. She talks with that community every week, and in so doing, is talking to the wider communities in the southwest.”

“It’s phenomenal what she does. Not only does she give a voice and a welcome to those people displaced by war who come to be in this country but through an extraordinary diversity of content and conversations gives us all an understanding of the richness and beauty of Ukrainian culture and the value it brings to us all.”

Dom, who presented the very first Community Radio Awards in 2016, added: “In the current landscape of awards and recognition in the radio industry, having these awards that recognise both the value of community broadcasting to society as well as the radio industry has never been so important.”

“Community radio has a critical role in ensuring displaced people forced to come to Britain through adverse circumstances at home get a warm welcome and have a voice.”

In congratulating the station and The Ukrainian Show, Bath & North East Somerset Council said, “Your commitment to empowering the Ukrainian community, promoting integration, and amplifying diverse voices through local radio is exactly the kind of initiative we’re proud to support. We truly value the impact the show has had and the important role it plays in promoting inclusion and cultural exchange across B&NES.”

The Ukrainian Show can be heard 10am every Sunday or through On Demand https://somervalleyfm.co.uk