First year Pharmacy student Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden has been awarded a Queensland Young Volunteer Award for 2009, in the Community Volunteers, 12-17 years division.
The awards recognise outstanding contributions made by young people aged 12 to 25, who have been nominated by community leaders and organisations.
The awards were announced last week by the Minister for Community Services and Housing, the Honourable Karen Struthers, after a panel of judges selected the winners based on their achievements and the benefits their communities received as a result of their volunteering activities.
Ryan supports young people with a disability aged 7 to 18 years in an integrated community access program run through Family Support Group Australia (FSG), who nominated him for this year’s awards.
Through the ‘Just for Kids’ program, Ryan mentors young people as they take part in activities to assist their social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.
Every Saturday, Ryan takes his ‘buddies’ to have fun with swimming or hydrotherapy, bowling or movies, workshops, events and a range of other activities.
An FSG spokesperson said that Ryan had inspired the extension of their Volunteer Program into local schools, TAFEs and Universities, looking for other young adults who can make a difference in their community.
Since being awarded, Ryan has had the honour of being invited on a Young Volunteers Speaking Tour with Ms Struthers. The tour will travel Queensland and speak to school age children about volunteering.
Ryan’s family are all active members of the UQ community, with both his parents also currently undertaking studies within the University.
Media: Robert Bayldon-Lumsden (father): lumsdenrobert@hotmail.com
