Listening and caring carves living legacy

MICK Lawrence has done something no parent should have to face — burying his son.

Now he and the community of south-east Hobart have banded together to honour the legacy of his son Tim by establishing a mentoring network for the local surfing community, known as the Lost Boys Project.

Last month, Tim Lawrence, 32, of Dodges Ferry, died after a jet ski accident while on a camping trip at Little Chinamans Bay, south of Marion Bay.

Investigations indicated he had left the campsite to transport two friends to Marion Bay before hitting a navigation beacon on the journey back.

“If you look at surfers, in the main, they’re Peter Pans — they don’t want to grow up,” Mr Lawrence said. “We’ve lost one of our Peter Pans in Tim.

“He was a very caring person who talked to people and listened to their stories and helped if he could, and that’s why he’s so sadly missed.

“The community wants to do something in his memory and this is the best way we could think of.”

The mentoring scheme will be open to kids as young as 11 who will have access to counsellors, special aids and other figures with relevant life experience.

“Sometimes kids don’t have anyone to talk to, or feel like they don’t, and maybe, out of this, they can understand there’s a whole stack of people willing to listen and be a mentor,” Mr Lawrence said.

“When something like this [Tim’s death] happens to a close community, old scars are peeled back and, for people who have lost loved ones before, it opens up the grieving process again.

“Our first meeting will allow anyone who’s having difficulties to talk — the more we talk about it, the more we bind together and the more strength we garner together.”

The first meeting of the Lost Boys Project will be held at the Clifton Beach Surf Lifesaving clubhouse tomorrow at 5pm. All welcome.