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Williamstown, Altona, Laverton Star

Sailing the seas

By Nicole Precel

17th November 2009 11:05:20 AM

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Bon voyage ... Williamstown resident Kieran Doohan is setting sail on a youth endeavour ship. 38922 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI

KIERAN Doohan will embark on a long voyage tomorrow, but a rewarding one.

The 20-year-old Williamstown resident will set sail on the Young Endeavour for 11 days, sailing from Adelaide to Williamstown with a group of young leaders from across Australia.

The voyage aims to provide young Australians with a challenging experience to increase their self-awareness and develop their teamwork skills.

Hobsons Bay City Council’s Youth Voice Committee selected Mr Doohan, as part of mayor Peter Hemphill's Mayoral program, to be one of 24 crew members aged between 16 and 23 aboard the yacht.

Mr Doohan decided he wanted to do the voyage when he saw the ship sail into Williamstown on Australia Day at the start of the year.

“I’d always liked the sea, I saw it and just thought wow, I’d love to do that,” he said.

It’s no wonder Mr Doohan was one of only about three Victorians chosen to participate.

He has volunteered with the St Vincent’s Soup Van, volunteered with people who had disabilities in England and at an activity camp in London for troubled teenagers.

He also spent two weeks in Alice Springs, preparing schools for their start to term and teaching English.

“That was good, a real eye opener,” he said.

“It’s out there in the desert, there’s sand in the classrooms, really harsh conditions out there. It’s a different life out there, sort of isolated and stuff.”

But his volunteering hasn’t stopped there.

He’s in the process of joining the Big Brother Big Sister mentoring program, which aims to give young people a positive role model.

The electrician apprentice has joined the army reserves and said he’s been considering working with youths in the future.

“I’ve always really been interested in juvenile justice and youth work,” he said.

“There’s a family friend involved in it, my sister has done her honours in criminology and I dunno, I just like that thought of that. Youth work - I just like working with young people.”