By Melissa Blewitt
Melanie Thomas, journalist, author and founder of the KYUP! Project, has been named Lachlan Shire Council’s 2020 Australia Day Ambassador.
She will be front and centre of Lachlan Shire Australia Day events. Lake Cargelligo, Tullibigeal and Burcher and will be joining Lachlan Shire Council Mayor John Medcalf
OAM in presenting the 2020 local awards.
The 2020 Australia Day Awards for the Lachlan Shire official NSW Citizen of the Year ceremony and award presentation will be held at the Lake Cargelligo Sail and Power Boat
Club on the morning of Australia Day (26 January), next year.
Rotary will offer breakfast, which begins at 8am. There will also be an Australian Citizenship Ceremony conducted.
This year Mrs Ruth Worthington, Mrs Judith Bartholomew, Dr Adam Kerezsy, Mr Bruce Patton , Miss Danielle Thompson, St Francis Xavier’s State Champion Relay Team, Mr Coden Stenhouse , Ms Anne Coffey, Ms Joanne Tomlinson, Ms Shane Phillips, Mr Keith Dawe, Mr Francis Hanily, Mr Warren Chad, Rebecca and Sandy Van Dyk have all
been nominated.
“Australia Day is a time to celebrate our great nation and honour our unsung heroes for their outstanding contributions to the local community,” Cr Medcalf explained.
“I encourage all residents to take part in their nearest Australia Day event as we celebrate what is great about Australia and our wonderful community.”
Melanie’s KYUP! Project is about empowering Australian’s to raise their standards and champion their safety and wellbeing.
“You will fight as hard for yourself as you believe you’re worth. Make sure you know how much you’re worth,” she says on her website (kyupproject.com).
KYUP!’s goal is the end cycle of violence at a grassroots level. Its workshops have been delivered to more than 10,000 young people in schools across Australia and New
Zealand.
KYUP! Project violence prevention education programs are intent on inspiring young people to value and champion their safety and wellbeing and to break through limiting selfdoubt, whether they a young girls from the most remote Indigenous communities or inner-city teenagers.
The KYUP! Project does not just work with females, and is now taking its message to boy’s schools, talking about issues that impact girls such as violence, porn, equality, and consent