CBAA celebrates volunteer Sarah Peterson as part of National Volunteer Week

As part of National Volunteer Week, today CBAA is celebrating Sarah Peterson and her contribution to 4RFM. Sarah first came to 4RFM when she was in Year 7 as part of the station’s youth programming program Project Y. The program gives kids from the local high school the chance to learn the basics of programming and presenting by spending a few hours a week for a term in the station.

Once she finished Project Y, Sarah progressed to 4RFM’s Youth Programmers program. This involves programming and presenting a one hour show each week after school and she proved to be steady and reliable. When Sarah was in Year 12, she began a school-based traineeship at the station, completing her Cert III in digital screen and media while continuing to volunteer as a Youth programmer after school.

Since graduating, Sarah has become the unofficial Music Librarian and is making her way through thousands of songs in the station system and cleaning out over 20 years’ worth of folders. She is preparing the station to move to new playout software in 2022.

Now that she is no longer eligible for 4RFM’s after school Youth Programmers program, Sarah is a grown-up volunteer and presents a two-hour weekly show. She is the first to put her hand up to help organise and attend all community and fundraising events. She is actively involved with the station, participating in all meetings and helping to train new presenters. She often takes the lead with the station’s primary school programmers and is a great role model for the current Project Y and Youth programmers.

Sarah was a finalist of the 2021 CBAA Outstanding Youth Contribution Award. If you know someone who you think has made an outstanding contribution to your station, you can nominate them for the Outstanding Youth Contribution or Outstanding Volunteer Contribution Award in the 2022 CBAA Awards.