The former professional rugby league and union player and his wife overcame tough competition from more than 60 fellow entrants to make it through to the finals and win the coveted $30,000 grant to kick-start their idea.
WMB’s Executive Director, Geoff Batkin said it was a challenge to choose a winner with five outstanding finalists pitching a range of worthwhile ideas from home makeovers for seniors to an online counselling portal.
“Andrew and Leona’s Rise Above program for local disadvantaged youth meets a real need in the local Ipswich community and we are looking forward to working with them to expand this program,” he said. “Not only does it teach youth the life-skills they need to be successful and break the cycle of self-harm and addictions, it gives them a positive place to be themselves and engage with healthy role models.”
Aimed at breaking negative behaviours, the Walker’s Rise Above program will build on their already popular free weekly touch footy games in a local Ipswich park. The Walkers will use the grant funds to secure regular premises for the games and begin a 16 week workshop that will counsel and teach youths a range of life skills from self-acceptance to forming positive, nurturing relationships and establishing healthy lifestyles.
A part of the couple’s Break the Cycle charity, Andrew Walker says it looks to break the cycle of self-harm, self-abuse and addictions among young people and encourage self-love and healthy living.
“Our idea is to create a base where young people can come to learn the life-skills that many of us take for granted,” explained Mr Walker. “We want to inspire disadvantaged youths to rise above their circumstances and empower them to break the cycle of negative behaviours.”
An inspirational mentor having represented Australia in both rugby league and union during his 16 year professional sporting career, Andrew and his wife Leona have already achieved significant success through their Break the Cycle initiative but say that winning Campaign for Change will take the charity to the next level.
“We have been voluntarily running a weekly touch footy game and free BBQ for the past six months which has received a huge response,” said Mr Walker. “Winning Campaign for Change will allow us to expand on this by securing a regular premises for the game, setting up a gym and implementing the Rise Above program to help young people in need.”
The Walkers aren’t the only Campaign for Change entrants celebrating though with runners up Rebecca Sheehan’s ethical fashion line and Geoff Wilson’s aquaponics program also receiving a $5,000 kick start in grant funds from campaign partners.
The winners and runners up will also receive enrolment into a short course focusing on starting a social enterprise, sponsored by Foresters Community Finance.
WMB’s Geoff Batkin says he’s thrilled with both the response and results of this year’s Campaign for Change competition which saw the local community come together to make a real difference in their local areas.
“Wesley Mission Brisbane has long been committed to improving the wellbeing of the community and the success of this latest campaign highlights the capability of the not for profit sector to instigate social change and encourage people to discuss community needs at a local level,” he said.
For more information on Wesley Mission Brisbane’s Campaign for Change, please visit www.wmb.org.au
Media Enquiries: please contact Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on 07 3250 9406, 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.
Notes to Editors:
About Wesley Mission Brisbane
Wesley Mission Brisbane (WMB) is a not for profit organisation that has been helping Queenslanders for over 100 years. WMB is a leading provider of innovative and responsive aged care, child care and community service programs that support those in need.
As part of WMB’s ongoing commitment to assisting and improving the Brisbane community, WMB has developed the Campaign for Change initiative, which for the first time, gives Brisbane residents the funding and support services they need to get their programs for improving their local community off the ground.
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