Myles Pollard, one of our valued Ambassadors, shares some of his experiences growing up in remote Western Australia.

Over a year ago I was approached by Primed, a performance-based change consultancy firm, to assist in the development of a leadership pathways program for Northern Territory staff at Mission Australia. Part of my responsibility involved role playing, which required me to play homeless, unemployed and disconnected young people.

The time I spent working in the Northern Territory reminded me of where I had come from. I grew up in remote communities in Western Australia; most of which were predominantly indigenous. I feel sad when I think about the tough conditions that many people lived in (and still do) in rural communities and my experience working for Primed has developed in me a strong appreciation of the work that Mission Australia does in this great country of ours.

I never really gave much thought as to what it means to be a father. Having had a son recently my perspective has completely changed and I now see my family as the most important thing I have in my life. My sensitivity to families doing it tough, particularly around Christmas time, has heightened and I understand that families facing a crisis or experiencing disadvantage need more support than ever.

Being a Mission Australia Ambassador is an honour and I want people around Australia to give more support to disadvantaged communities, families and individuals because they deserve the opportunity to be the best that they can be.

Primed can be contacted by clicking here.