Cameron Balcombe, 18, was recently awarded the inaugural Ricci Marks Rising Star Award for his volunteer work with Edmund Rice Camps. He tells Charlene Macaulay why he thinks it’s important to help others.
How long have you lived in the Point Cook area?
Twelve or so years – I was born in Maribyrnong.
What’s your favourite thing about living in Wyndham?
I like Point Cook – it’s got a good vibe. I think it’s got a real sense of community and multicultural spirit. My brother lives out in the east and it’s all concrete. Out here, there’s lots of parks and it’s really open.
If you could change anything about the area, what would it be?
There’s not a lot of things to do in Point Cook. We don’t have our own cinema, there’s no swimming pool for summer – there needs to be more stuff for kids to do.
You graduated from Emmanuel College in Point Cook last year. What are you doing now?
I’m studying commerce at Deakin University in Geelong. It’s a three-year course. I’m not too sure what I want to do after I graduate. Commerce is a very broad subject, so I can work out what I want to do once I’m finished.
What are your hobbies?
I like watching movies and hanging out with my mates.
You volunteer with Edmund Rice Camps. Tell me about the work you do there.
I’ve been a volunteer leader since I was 16. What we do at Edmund Rice Camps is take kids that might be disadvantaged in some way – whether it’s financially, or if family life is a bit hard for them – and we take them on a camp to somewhere like Lorne, or Malmsbury, and we do fun stuff.
We’ll go surfing, bike riding – that sort of stuff. The volunteers have a one-to-one ratio with the kids, so every kid has an older buddy … we’re there to be their friend and do whatever they want to do. It’s about having fun and giving the kids somebody to look up to.
Do you volunteer anywhere else?
I have done some work through my mum’s work with the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry … I help out occasionally with the Edmund Rice food van at the Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda.
You attended some camps when you were younger. Is that what prompted you to start volunteering?
I was a participant from the age of 12 until 16 … after that I wanted to make a difference, and help the kids the way I was helped.
[Everyone] should give volunteering a go. It’s a selfless act but you do get a lot out of it personally – you learn a lot, you grow a lot. You get to see how some people’s lives are, and just how privileged you are. It’s not for everyone but it’s worth a try to make a difference to someone’s day.
You recently won the Ricci Marks Rising Star award – what does winning the award mean to you?
For me, it means a lot. It’s being recognised for doing something that you wouldn’t expect to be recognised for. I don’t help out with Edmund Rice Camps and volunteer to get recognised or win a prize.
