By Tanya Steele
The opening ceremony for the Yarra Valley FM 99.1 (YVFM 99.1) community radio and the Lions Den Opportunity Shop in Healesville went ahead with great joy and celebration on Friday, 3 March at the new location for both organisations.
It was a terrific event, with the ribbon cut by Cr Fiona McAllister to launch the opening at exactly 3.03pm on March 3, 2023.
The event featured other guests such as Declan Kelly from the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, Sheah Sutton from the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF), Graham Bryant, District Governor of Lions and many others.
There was live entertainment on the day, BBQ provided by the Badger Creek Men’s Shed and the book launch for LIndsey Frost and Bruce Argyle’s ‘A Strange Business’.
The Lions Den Op Shop moved after 35 years on the main street in Healesville and YVFM 99.1 is relocating after 28 years in Woori Yallock.
The YVFM 99.1 radio station has two new studios and a production room at the Lions site on Lilydale Road and has been ‘on air’ at the new site since the launch.
YVFM 99.1 Vice President Bruce Argyle delivered some punny lines during his speech and is really enthusiastic about the move.
“We’ll be working with Lions to promote community events, opportunities, building projects, new initiatives and things like that which is really good and of course interviewing each other,” he said.
The relocation will be positive for both groups as they can promote and support each other but going ahead Mr Argyle anticipates a need for support in the younger community.
“One of the biggest challenges for both organisations is we need more volunteers. We need more younger volunteers and the Lions, many of the members are older. The presenters for radio, many of the presenters are older there as well,” he said.
Both groups have installed plaques to commemorate the opening, which were revealed after the ribbon cutting.
