Boys of the Bush gets a warm welcome ahead of Wagga launch

The grant was one of 14 given to local organisations sharing in $90,491 provided through the ClubGRANTS program.

Boys of the Bush Co-Founder, Director and Area Manager-South Tim Sanson said the boost comes ahead of the Wagga launch which is set for October.

Mr Sanson said they were virtually forced to look to Wagga as the demand for the service here was so high.

Boys of the Bush is a not-for-profit charity that was established five years ago in conjunction with school teachers.

"We take kids and get them out a bush, and get them out doing stuff," Mr Sanson said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"I had a conversation with a case worker and a principal from a school, in Griffith actually, and we spoke about a young fella who he wants us to look at and support and we said there's probably 30 or 40 per cent of kids in every school who don't suit learning about things they don't find relevant."

The organisation provides support to struggling young males through several ventures.

"We do a few things, we do school camps and school holidays, we do mentor which is where we try and get these kids into their community, we do school programs and we do what they call alternative care," Mr Sanson said.

"Alternative care is when we look out for kids 24/7. So the kids are generally disengaged- they go to school, cause massive disruption, they don't come out of their bedrooms, they're addicted to gaming and they come from trauma backgrounds."

Mr Sanson said most everyday people can't comprehend what they mean by traumatic background.

"Some of the stuff these kids have to put up with is really ordinary," he said.

The organisation works with males between eight and 20.

"We started out at 10-to-16, but then we thought; 'well we can't just let them go at 16, we have to support them all the way through," Mr Sanson said.

The funding will allow the organisation to continue its work locally.

"There's a boy who we have been mentoring one-on-one, he had some dramas in one of the local schools and now he's doing work experience with the support of one of our staff members and he's doing chef work and would like an apprenticeship," Mr Sanson said.

"He can't do it yet because he's not old enough, but that's what he is working his way towards. So it's actually a really good outcome.

"I say all of the time what we do is complex but it's actually really simple, all the tools that these young people need are in the community and our job is to try and link them."

Other organisations to share in the funding includes;

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: