Community Chats with Rashelle

28/04/2026

It was Anzac Day with a difference at the Swan Valley Memory Café in Middle Swan today where volunteers and guests paid tribute in a uniquely heart-felt way. 🌺
Singing, community connection and friendship sits at the heart of this terrific group led by Janice O’Shea – who founded the Swan Valley Memory Café to support people with dementia and their carers. 🔥
It was a privilege to chat with Janice on 88.5FM about the special work she’s doing and the wonderful volunteers who help. 💜
Now in her 80’s, the now retired nurse continues to make an extraordinary difference in our community and this café is a wonderful example of community in action. 🙌
To hear our chat see here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/4ffhfhtw
The café meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 10am to 12pm at the Minchin Centre in Middle Swan.
It's free to attend, and everyone is welcome. 🙂

Swan Valley Memory Cafe
Dementia ConnectEd Australia
Radio VCA 88.5FM
Perth Dementia Collective

17/04/2026

Get behind it 🥳

Big hearts, big effort, big impact ❤️
Last year, the incredible team at Ellenbrook’s community radio station powered through a 30-hour radiothon to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation — and now doing it again to help make more wishes come true ✨
👉 Find out more: https://885fm.com.au/marathon/
👉 Donate here: https://885fm.com.au/makeawish/
And don't forget: if you’re part of a local not-for-profit, school group or sporting club - you can promote your events for free 🙌through Radio VCA 88.5FM

Make-A-Wish Australia

16/04/2026

It was a blast being interviewed by Freddie and Ben on 88.5FM’s newest chat show! 🎙️
Ben is a great community supporter through his involvement the IGA Ellenbrook and Stratton – and also in his role as a Mundaring Shire councillor. 🥳
And Freddie brings that same passion through his work with Swan Community Connect - making a big difference where it matters.🥳
It’s great to see more chat shows on our local radio station. 👏
Listen to our chat here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/87uuyb5j

Community Matters - with Ben & Freddy
Radio VCA 88.5FM
Ben Heptinstall

🎙️ WE’RE LIVE TODAY FROM 12–2PM!

Join us for Community Matters on Radio VCA 88.5FM We’ve got a massive lineup today 👇

🔹 Community Chats with Rashelle – Fellow presenter & City of Swan Councillor
🔹 Daniel Bergin – local school principal.
🔹 Terica – Together Now WA
🔹 John – President, Cracovia Soccer Club
🔹 Tanya Richardson – Mayor of the City of Swan

Plenty happening and plenty to talk about — get involved and send us your questions for our guest.

📱 Text us live on 0440 133 885
📻 Tune in on 88.5FM
🌍 Or listen anywhere by downloading the Community Radio Plus app

Let’s talk community, local issues, and everything that matters to YOU.

👉 12–2PM today — don’t miss it!

01/04/2026

It was a privilege to be featured in one of the Respect Works videos with Michelle Maynard MLA and Robyn from the Ellenbrook Mile, where we took a moment so share some thoughts. 💛
A huge shoutout to Freddy and Swan Community Connect for their help in making this video series.👏
There’s a lovely event happening next month when our community will join together as part of a Respect Works – a movement that unites voices, stories, and actions to grow a culture of respect. 💛
Join us on May 16 at Ellenbrook Central (8:30am–12:30pm) for a morning of connection, creativity, and community spirit: keep an eye out on the Ellenbrook Mile and Respect Works pages for details.
Hope to see you there 🙌

29/03/2026

Showing what’s possible when people work with nature 🔥🌱
Karyn Hodby from Perth NRM is leading the Wooroloo post-fire environmental recovery project, which brings together the Susannah Wooroloo Catchment Group Inc., Aboriginal Landcare and others to restore Wooroloo Brook.

We talked about what’s changed since the Wooroloo fire five years ago, how this unique collaboration is helping the land heal, and why this project could become a blueprint for fire recovery right across Western Australian. 🥳 👏

Karyn told o us about:
🌿 2,500+ seedlings planted
🌿 Free, hands-on community workshops
🌿 Families, volunteers and locals working side by side

Keep an eye out on their website for their free, hands-on workshops and community events.
Their most recent one on microbats was held this weekend at the Gidgegannup Men's Shed who is another supportive partner.

📍 Catch them at the Gidge Small Farm Field Day on May 24
🌱 where they’ll be sharing ideas and connecting with locals.

Curious about how this wonderful recovery is happening on the ground?
Hear Karyn Hodby from Perth NRM share the story behind the Wooroloo comeback...
Listen to the interview here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2v2km8w5
Find out more Perth NRM here 👉 perthnrm.com

Radio VCA 88.5FM

16/03/2026

🎙️ On the Community Chat Show… we talked about looking after each other. 💛
Roz Dawson from Happy Heads shared about a fantastic local, community-based mental health initiative she’s created to provide safe spaces for people who might be doing it tough.
She also brought in Pookie the toy panda - who gives great hugs! 🙌
Roz spent 25 years as a volunteer ambulance officer in Bullsbrook, attending countless calls related to su***de and mental health crises. She saw firsthand that many people in our smaller communities simply don’t have local places to turn for support when they need it most.
That experience inspired Happy Heads a locally owned, community-driven initiative offering things like free or discounted counselling and Mental Health First Aid courses to help everyday people learn how to support someone who may be struggling.
🎙️ Great opportunity for someone in our community! 💛
Roz is offering one free place in her April Mental Health First Aid course. 🫶
It’s a great chance to learn how to recognise the signs someone might be struggling and how to guide them towards the right support.
If you’d like to take part, head over to the Happy Heads page for details - because sometimes knowing how to help can make all the difference.
👉 Keep an eye out on the Happy Heads page where Roz regularly posts local support services and upcoming events.
👉 Tune in to hear Roz’s inspiring story and our interview here: https://tinyurl.com/2pswjd3v

Happy Heads Coffee & Chat
Radio VCA 88.5FM

05/03/2026

✨ One person’s passion can make a real difference.✨
Chatting with Matthew Pavlinovich from the Midland and Districts Historical Society Inc. was a wonderful reminder of just how powerful that passion can be. 🔥
Matt has an incredible love for Midland - its people, its stories, and those moments in time that may have passed but are far from forgotten. Through a growing Facebook community and the work of the Historical Society, those memories are being collected, preserved and shared with everyone who calls the 6056 area home. 🙌
Exciting things are ahead too!
🏛️ Midland Town Hall tours will continue this year
🚂 Historic tours of the Midland Railway Workshops are now on the cards
The Society’s mission is simple but important: to collect, preserve and share the history of Midland and the surrounding suburbs within the 6056 postcode.
This was such a heart-warming, inspiring and fascinating chat.
If you love local history, nostalgia, or just a great community story — make sure you follow the Midland and Districts Historical Society on Facebook.
Keep up the fantastic work, Matt! 👏
Missed the interview?
Listen here: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/yc6f28rs

Radio VCA 88.5FM

25/02/2026

🎙️💃 Hot Hula hits the airwaves! 💃🎙️
It’s always fun when Miriam Kauhiva joins me on the community chat show! 🌺✨
She's turned her Hot Hula fitness classes into a fun, welcoming community that’s about so much more than just exercise. 🙌💛
She has exciting plans to expand into the Swan Valley, and there may be some free classes (so keep an eye on her page 👀). HOTHULAfitness Western Australia
Miriam's also part of the GFS Perth team who will host a free and friendly group stroll through Whiteman Park next week to soak up the scenery with great company. 🌿🚶‍♀️
(Info in this post 🙂).
This is one passionate local leader you’ll want to hear from!
If you missed the interview, listen here 👉https://tinyurl.com/2pswjd3v

01/01/2026

🎉 It's a new year, fresh vibes and a brand new time slot for your favourite community chat show! 🥳
📻 Mondays | 9am – 12pm
Our first show of the year will be on Monday 2 February, so stay tuned… 2026 is going to be a great year on air! 🎙️💛

25/12/2025

24/12/2025

What a fantastic way to wrap up the year at the Midland Men’s Shed annual Christmas party - a true celebration of mateship, connection and community. 🎄🤝
The men sheds are a powerful reminder of how important friendship and looking out for each other is.
A big shout-out to the Midland Men’s Shed for joining me on my radio community chat show this year - it was a pleasure to highlight the great work you do.
And thank you also to the Gidgegannup and Ellenbrook men’s sheds for also coming on the show earlier this year to talk about the great work each of you do in our communities. 💛
Wishing all our men’s shed communities a very Merry Christmas, a safe and restful break, and a fantastic new year. 🎅🎄💛

Gidgegannup Men's Shed
Ellenbrook and Districts Men's Shed
Bullsbrook Men's Shed
Radio VCA 88.5FM