Boys to the Bush program provides male mentors for boys in Wagga

Mr Charles is part of Boys to the Bush, a Wagga program founded in Albury, that targets disadvantaged and disengaged youth.

"We're trying to help young boys become good men," Mr Charles said.

The 24-year-old, who is already mentoring four boys a week, found his way to the program after struggling with his own mental health as a child.

"Growing up I've seen stuff probably most kids shouldn't have seen," Mr Charles, who started mentoring at 19 years of age, said.

Mr Charles said he was fortunate enough to have the support of his mother and stepfather growing up but had seen his half-siblings face struggles.

Still being young, the Wagga resident said he didn't yet know then how to help his family.

"But I want to use this passion to help these young kids so they don't go down that same path," Mr Charles said.

He now aims to break the so-called "man's code" that avoids honesty and openness.

"We're trying to break that and it just comes down to having that conversation when we're out," Mr Charles said.

Even if that conversation is as simple as admitting to not being okay.

Ten-year-old Kaiden Hinch joined the program last school term after his mother Stacey said he struggled with behavioural issues.

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"[He joined] mostly for the male role models," Mrs Hinch said.

"Just needed someone to try and steer him in the right direction and show him the right way to behave."

Boys to the Bush aims to provide community and male role models for young men who exhibit poor behaviour, social skills and school attendance and who might face difficult home and life experiences.

It helps set goals from connecting with family and different forms of education to gaining real life work experience and engaging with hobbies.

Mr Charles said it's about more than just spending time with youth in need of mentoring, it's about how that time is spent.

"We're not just going out to go bowling or something like that," he said.

"We're going and connecting to country, we're going to farms.

"We're trying to give back to community and get community involved for these kids."

As well as one-on-one or small group mentoring throughout the school term, camps are run during the school holidays.

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