Whitten Project Young Leader Sara McInnes has been honoured with the Melton Youth Citizen of the Year Award over the Australia Day weekend, for her outstanding work in the local community.

The 2013 Whitten Project graduate said that while she was humbled to receive the award, it made her want to increase her involvement in the community.

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“It was really nice to get the award but it is something that is going to make me continue in the community – I still would have but it is pushing me to do more,” McInnes said.

Focussing her attention on fundraising efforts for the Riding for the Disabled Association, the Melton local said she discovered a lot about herself over the past 12 months and the award was in large part due to the Whitten Project.

“I learnt about myself — especially throughout the Whitten Project — what I was capable of,” she said.

“I learnt that you should always give everything a try and that is what the Whitten Project has taught me.

“I also learnt that if you belief in yourself, even when you have bad days, if you believe in yourself then things get better.”

Whitten Project Manager Nathan Bibby said McInnes made an outstanding contribution throughout the program, highlighted by her community leadership project.

“Sara is a young leader who continually seeks opportunities to contribute to the Melton community,” Bibby said.

“She does a phenomenal amount of volunteer work, particularly assisting young people overcome barriers to participate and feel part of the community.

“I congratulate her on being Melton’s Youth Citizen of the Year and look forward to watching her leadership journey continue.”

While the year nine student does not have an AFL background, her enthusiasm to learn and broaden her horizons impressed Bibby and her peers alike.

“Sara excelled in The Whitten Project during 2013 due to her willingness to listen and try new things,” he said.

“Sara came into the project with an open-mind since she did not have a passion for AFL, but her determination to push herself out of her comfort zone enabled her to grow and become an integral part of the group.

“It has been great witnessing Sara’s self-confidence continually develop and I believe she has a great understanding of how charity and looking out for others helps her to connect and be part of the community.”

McInnes becomes the third Western Bulldogs affiliated participant to be awarded a council Youth Citizen of the Year award in the past two years, with 2011 Building Community Resilience Program graduates, Oussama Abou-Zeid and Joel Kuperholz, named joint winners of the Hobsons Bay Young Citizen of the Year Award last year.