Stoke-on-Trent's local community radio station, Cross Rhythms City Radio 101.8FM, is celebrating after winning three national awards in the last three months.

Two awards came from the Jerusalem Media Awards in recognition of the station's excellence in broadcasting a Christian message, beating off competition from the BBC, commercial and other Christian radio stations.

Cross Rhythms won two out of the eight awards on offer and came runner up in a third category.

One award was for a short production segment called 'Forgiveness', the powerful story of a South African lady who forgives the murderer of her husband and son, a clip of which can be heard at www.myspace.com/crossrhythms.

The other Jerusalem Award went to Cross Rhythms radio presenter Deanna Fletcher who presents the Audacious Radio Show, winning the Under 25 Presenter award.

Cross Rhythms CEO Jonathan Bellamy said: "From our local base in Stoke-on-Trent these awards show Cross Rhythms is increasingly becoming a significant media player at a national level.

"Our vision is to impact youth and the wider community for good through local community radio and a strong website, and in recent years we have seen our popularity go from strength to strength. Cross Rhythms is about great music, very local content and is undergirded by a clear Christian ethos.

"Maybe our style of radio is very relevant to today's culture where people are not only looking for great entertainment and up to date information, but are also searching for more meaning, values and hope in a very uncertain world. I think people are finding all this at Cross Rhythms."

Cross Rhythms began as a half hour show on local commercial radio in Stoke-on-Trent in 1983. More than a quarter of a century on, it now also airs in Plymouth and Teesside, and reaches around 900,000 people largely under the age of 35 through its popular website www.crossrhythms.co.uk.

Cross Rhythm founders Chris and Kerry Cole picked up a third award from the Christian Broadcasting Council recognising their pioneering media work.

CBC Chair Olave Snelling declared: "This CBC Gold Exploits Award is a passionate tribute to the pioneering work of Chris and Kerry Cole. We applaud Cross Rhythms and the magnificent work it does through music and speech, and for spreading hope in the community into untold numbers of lives, particularly among young people."