A group of Stawell women will reunite to celebrate a half-century of work supporting health in the region.

The Y-Zetts formed in 1975 with a goal of providing an alternative fundraising avenue for Stawell Hospital.

Founding member Meg Blake was responsible for the charity’s unique name, and said she was committed to the group from day one.

“Our original idea was to provide an alternative way of raising funds for the hospital, other than what the ladies auxiliary was doing at the time,” she said.

“We were a big group of mates who felt we were too young to join the auxiliary and wanted to try fresh, new ideas for fundraising and get away from the usual cake stalls and raffles.”

Mrs Blake convened a public meeting at her home on May 29, 1975, with the 17 women in attendance agreeing to join the group and call it the Stawell Younger Set.

After being sanctioned by the hospital board, the committee held its inaugural meeting on July 10, 1975, but Mrs Blake said not all members liked the ‘Younger Set’ name.

“I suggested the name so I got thinking about it one day and abbreviated it down to Y-Zetts, which was way more catchy,” she said.

“Ironically we decided to kick off our fundraising strategies with a cake stall, but we soon got ideas for all sorts of events. We had film nights and fashion parades and we eventually started hosting an annual ball. The first film night was memorable in many ways because it was Planet of the Apes and a lot of people were offended by it.”

The first item the group bought for the hospital was a set of digital baby scales.

“Michael Delahunty was the CEO back in our early days and he was very strident, making sure we only bought equipment the hospital really needed,” Mrs Blake said.

“Over the years we have raised upwards of $1-million and bought all kinds of equipment.”

Mrs Blake was honoured with a life governorship of the hospital in 1976, joining the board of management the following year.

In 1994, she began working at the hospital in a public relations and fundraising role that she continued for 18 years.

Mrs Blake continues her involvement as a current director of the Stawell Hospital Foundation.

“My mother was a nurse at Stawell so I have always had a fascination with its health services,” she said.

The remaining Y-Zetts are planning a 50th-anniversary celebration with a reunion on May 22, followed by a dinner at Trackside Tabaret the following night.

Mrs Blake said she provided nearly 200 names of former Y-Zetts committee members to be invited, but it had been difficult to find contact details for many of them.

Anyone who believes they can help with Y-Zetts contacts can call Mrs Blake on 0417 581 421.

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