NSW Women of the Year Awards 2022: Tamworth's Louise Matthews wins title of Local Woman of the Year for youth volunteer work

The dedicated volunteer was awarded the title of Tamworth's Local Woman of the Year as part of the NSW Women of the Year Awards for her commitment to regional youth.

While working full time, Ms Matthews volunteers with Challenge Community Services where she fights for the rights of those living with disabilities, and the Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light where she leads the Rotary Youth Leadership Award program, taking young people on camps to focus on professional and personal development.

"It takes a community to raise a child and it takes a community to nurture these people," Ms Matthews said.

"It's given me so many opportunities to work with incredible young people.

READ ALSO:

"Our future's in very very good hands with all these young ones."

Invested in empowering the next generation of leaders, Ms Matthews said she'd love to see a full scale university established in Tamworth to keep young people in the region.

"That would be incredible to actually keep these young people," she said.

"When they have to go out of town now we lose so many of them."

While praise is often the last thing on Ms Matthews' selfless mind, she said the award was the "cherry on top" of a lot or hard work.

"It's just really rewarding to think that you might have had some small impact on their life journey," Ms Matthews said.

"Whatever you put in, you get back in spades."

Ms Matthews said she wished to dedicate the award to her good friend David Hinwood, who took her under his wing when she first arrived in Tamworth as a single mum, with two young kids and a couple of bags, 31 years ago.

"He and his family were great support to me when I came to town and particularly getting me into these organisations," she said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: