Lorraine Kelly opens our new studios

Bourne End resident Lorraine Kelly CBE opened our stunning new studios at Great Marlow School on Thursday 18th July. The daytime ceremony marked the culmination of months of hard work. In the evening, some 150 presenters, supporters, and dignitaries gathered to continue the celebration and tour our new building.

A special two-hour grand opening show broadcast live from our new Studio 2, with the founder of Marlow FM, Tim Ashburner, and his daughter and fellow volunteer Lucy Ashburner behind the microphone.

The new studio project was a massive challenge for Marlow FM’s management team, principally Tim Ashburner, Graham Duthie, Pat Reading, and Jill Hickey. They were involved at every stage of the planning, building, fundraising, and project managing, and gave up so much of their time.

The project involved the conversion and extension of the old caretaker’s garage. To see it through, we had to raise tens of thousands of pounds from many generous individuals, businesses, and organisations. The fully-accessible building now houses two state-of-the-art radio studios, a main control room, a toilet, and a kitchen area. Fundraising continues to help run the station and get new community initiatives underway.

We needed a new home because our original one at Longridge Activity Centre, from where we started broadcasting full time in May 2011, was to be demolished (it now has been). Since the autumn of last year we’ve been broadcasting on a temporary basis from a room at Marlow Library.

Marlow FM thanks everyone who’s been involved with this amazing new chapter. So many have done so much, often behind the scenes.