Mr Lean has been with Rotary for decades, helping to create Country Hope and the Shine Awards.

Mr Lean said he was “very proud” of the annual Shine Awards, which recognise employees with a disability and the companies they work for.

“These people are very strong and their workplaces are always very supportive and you can see that it improves morale in a workplace,” he said.

Mr Lean said it was “very humbling” to receive the Citizen’s award on Australia Day and was accepting it jointly with his late wife Kaye, who was beside him in their community services.

“I’m really sharing this award with my late wife, Kaye, that’s paramount for me,” Mr Lean said.

“We were a partnership that did all of our community work together.

“It’s been going on for 30-odd years, that we’ve been involved.”

Wagga Mayor Greg Conkey said Mr Lean was a “very worthy recipient” of the Citizen of the Year Award.

“He has been an active member of this community for many years, not only through 2AAA FM but Country Hope and also Rotary,” Cr Conkey said.

“He has been a very strong supporter of this community and he and his wife have donated their services as a partnership.

“It is very fitting the he is accepting the award on behalf of his wife and Wagga is better for their services to this community.” 

Back in 1987, the Rotary Club of Wagga brought a large group of children to the region from Camp Quality.

“The guy who was coordinating it died about 10 days before the camp and he had approached me to be involved in future operations, so I took up the challenge,” Mr Lean said.

“It was a great big camp and there was incredible community support.

“My wife and my kids were involved and she realised that it had been a fantastic week for the children with cancer and life-threatening illnesses, but she also recognised that there were local families that needed support.”

Mrs Lean started the Riverina Family Support Group as a result of the camp until they were approached in 1993 to develop Camp Quality in Southern NSW.

The group worked with Camp Quality, with the support of Rotary, until 2003 when the group established ‘Country Hope’.

“We had 30 volunteers who said they would support us, so that’s where it all started; a very successful local charity that supports families with children who have life-threatening illnesses,” Mr Lean said.

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