Andrew Thomson was thrilled to receive the Ross Sanson Leadership Award for his work with Boys to the Bush. Photo: Supplied.
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Local youth mentor leader Andrew Thomson has been honoured for his work as location manager of the not-for-profit organisation Boys to the Bush Echuca-Moama.
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Mr Thomson has been the location manager of Boys to the Bush Echuca-Moama since it opened in May 2023 and was awarded the Ross Sanson Leadership Award at a presentation on Thursday night, July 11.
The award is a peer-nominated honour from various members of the Boys to the Bush organisation throughout NSW and Victoria.
Mr Thomson received a trophy as well as a certificate recognising his “ability to achieve high performance and excellence through others” and that included kind words from staff on the back.
Boys to the Bush is focused on prevention and early intervention strategies for vulnerable male youth.
Since 2017, Boys to the Bush has impacted over 7000 lives through involvement in a range of programs.
These include one-on-one mentoring programs, camps, school programs, education programs, alternative care arrangements and community engagement days.
Mr Thomson has a background in disability services and a passion for fostering trust and nurturing relationships with at-risk youth in his local community.
Mr Thomson spoke about the importance of mentorship programs such as Boys to the Bush in helping young men have role models to engage with.
Leigh Haw, Clint Atkinson, Jack Evans, Andrew Thomson and Nick Kilborn from Boys to the Buch Echuca-Moama focus on providing youth mentorship to boys in the local area. Photo: Supplied.
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“(I think it’s important) because there is a demonstrated need for it because not everyone has the luxury or the good luck or the ability to have a male mentor in their life,” he said.
“A program like this, which has been explicitly designed to mentor these boys that don’t necessarily have male role models in their lives, is beneficial because there are young boys out there craving that connection with a male mentor.
“In the entirety of the program, we had 13,500 boys last year.
“The number one thing that all of our boys crave is time; all our boys are after a male mentor to spend time with them.”
Mr Thomson was proud to receive the honour, which indicates that he and his team at Boys to the Bush are addressing a need in the community.
“(Receiving the award) means that we have been able to do our job properly,” he said.
“I am really honoured to win this award. You don’t do these things on your own; I have a great group of staff that do a fantastic job, which makes my life a whole lot easier.”
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