A mentoring program for young men aged eight to 18 has taken off in Echuca-Moama.
Assisting boys to become good men, Boys to the Bush (BttB) is a level one charity first established in 2017, after three school teachers, with many years of experience working with students with behavioural and complex needs, established there was a desperate need for youth engagement.
Focusing on prevention and early intervention strategies, BttB has a proven history of engaging with young men through ‘MENtoring’ and their camping and school program.
Echuca-Moama location manager Andrew Thomson said BttB opened in the area in April 2023 and now services Deniliquin, Bendigo, Shepparton, Rochester and Cohuna. They have even had inquiries from as far away as Sea Lake.
He said the charity was focused on re-engaging young men who have found themselves removed from the community by whatever circumstance.
“There is a growing disconnect in the community and government data tells us this is concentrated in boys between eight and 18,” Mr Thomson said.
The program pushes three core values:
- engagement – creating connections to build belonging;
- respect – using respect as a tool for success;
- community – involving community as part of the solution.
Echuca’s site currently has five full-time staff and is looking after 18 boys a week.
Local mentors include males aged from 22-50 and currently include a plumber, builder, shearer and an ex-policeman.
He urged anyone interested in giving back and mentoring to contact the office.
“There is no real requirements to be a mentor other than a life lived in the community, of course there are welfare checks to be completed but other than that you just need to be willing to share your experiences,” Mr Thomson said.
Mr Thomson said this role could be challenging at times because many of these young men don’t pick the journey they have found themselves on.
“This job is a mixture of many things and it can be frustrating at times, but it is purposeful and we do have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of these young men and that is extremely rewarding,” he said.
Around 90 per cent of the work is in the MENtoring program which runs for one day a week over nine weeks.
Participants can be referred in a number of ways including NDIS and child protection.
“Usually boys in the MENtoring program don’t have a male figure in their life and the idea is they are shown what options are out there for them,” he said.
The school program lasts five weeks, with one session a week, which takes 10 boys out into the community, showing them different businesses, organisations and job opportunities.
The camps are usually held over the school holidays and provide respite for carers while building resilience in participants.
Mr Thomson said they had already had some real success with some boys reconnecting with school and family, while others had worked out school is not for them and are looking into apprenticeships.
On May 6, BttB is hosting a Drinks and Yarns session with local businesses and organisations from 5pm to 7pm at 38 McMillan Road, Echuca.
Anyone who may be interested in attending can contact Andrew Thomson on 0499 469 655 or visit the website www.boystothebush.org.au