Inspirational Luton radio station celebrates 25 years on air

Luton-based radio station Inspire FM marked 25 years of ‘inspiring’ with a gala dinner on Friday.

The event was attended by dignitaries, community leaders and volunteers and featured entertainment by Prince Naseeb and Safe Adam.

The evening hosted talks with the theme of ‘Inspiring for 25 Years’ by Rachel Hopkins MP, Cllr Hazel Simmons, Salma Khan of Luton Foodbank, Saif Ali of Connect4Causes and Sujel Miah of Luton Council of Mosques.

Ms Hopkins said: “It’s a real privilege to be here celebrating 25 years of Inspire FM as the local MP for Luton South. Inspire FM is more than just a radio station. It’s about being part of the community and bringing people together and in a whole manner of ways.”

Inspire FM regularly hosts community events and supports dozens of charitable causes every year.

Saif Ali, Co-Founder of Connect4Causes, said: “Over the last year we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Inspire FM and work on various projects in our town like The Big Iftar and Inspire Eid Festival.

“I’ve seen the exceptional people at Inspire FM who do so much for our community and have hugely supported the work we do at Connect For Causes.”

Zaffar Iqbal, Zahid Chohan and Rashid Nazar, Directors of Inspire FM, also spoke at the celebration event about the journey of the organisation and its future direction.

“Inspire FM has grown from a small group of friends to a family of over 150 volunteers who give their time, expertise and efforts throughout the year to help inspire the community,” said Zaffar Iqbal.

Zahid Chohan added: “Our focus has always been on serving the community and we are grateful to be able to benefit so many over the last 25 years.”

The community station started as ‘Radio Ramadan Luton’ in 1997 by four friends to provide a spiritual connection during the holy month. In 2010, the station went full-time, rebranding to ‘Inspire FM’, and continued to connect with the community throughout the year.

Sujal Miah, of Luton Council of Mosques, said: “When Inspire FM launched in 1997 as Radio Ramadhan Luton, it was a voice for the Muslim community. It amplified our stories and journeys. It made us feel like we matter.”

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