Melbourne student Angus Liddell wins Young Citizen of the Year after $10K fundraiser

Finding the time between classes, training and everyday commitments is already tough enough for most students. For Angus Liddell, this has meant finding ways to bring people together and translate good ideas into action. After a year of fundraising, volunteering, leadership and a 10km swim for charity, his efforts have now earned him one of Kingston's top youth honors. Angus has also been recognized with the Young Citizen of the Year award at the 2026 Kingston Youth Awards for his ongoing commitment to helping others and encouraging fellow young people to get involved in their community, states the latest media release by Kingston Government website. Scroll down to read his story of passion and success.Making a problem into a crusadeOne of Angus’s key achievements was organizing the first Mission Action Day Swim, a 10km charity swim involving 20 young people. The event was held to raise money and awareness for communities in need of help. More importantly, it gave students a new way to get involved in fundraising while also taking on a physically demanding challenge. The swim added another dimension to Angus’s involvement in Mission Action Day, an annual fundraising event at St Bede’s College to support projects for communities in Australia and overseas.Angus also raised nearly $7,000 in the college’s 2026 fundraising campaign, the most raised by an individual student that year. Over several years of involvement, he has raised nearly $10,000.Leadership outside the classroomHis contribution is not limited to fundraising. Angus volunteers as a lifesaver at Mentone Life Saving Club, where he combines his passion for swimming with helping the community. He is a College Leader and Swim Captain at St Bede's College, putting him at the center of student activities and school initiatives. His work is about a broader role in encouraging other young people to get involved, not just raising money himself. The Mission Action Day Swim reflected this approach, giving students, families, and wider community members a chance to participate.A school team that's making greater impactAngus was not the only St Bede’s student to be recognized at this year’s awards. The St Bede's College Captains Team was awarded Young Community Group of the Year after spearheading the college's 2026 Mission Action Day campaign.The campaign has raised an amazing $86,197 to help projects in disadvantaged communities throughout Australia and overseas, including Indigenous communities in Western Australia and communities in Thailand and Pakistan.The student leaders also sought to create a stronger culture of service across the college, inspiring classmates to come up with their own fundraising ideas and to think of ways they could serve others in practical ways.Honoring young leaders in KingstonThe Kingston Youth Awards celebrate the achievements of young people in areas like volunteering, advocacy, sport, education, creativity, community projects and helping others. This year’s awards highlighted the fact that young people are already making a difference in the community, rather than waiting until they are older to do so.The story of Angus is a good example. He has had a lot of success because of his dedication and his ability to get others involved, whether it's by running a fundraising campaign, a difficult swim or his work as a volunteer lifesaver. The recognition also acknowledges the wider contribution of young people right across Kingston, from school-led fundraising to community volunteering, and their efforts are helping build up connections and tackle problems locally and further afield.For Angus, the award is a significant milestone, but the projects behind it suggest something more important: a young leader who has already discovered that meaningful change often starts with simply deciding to get involved.Images Courtesy: istock and Kingston Government website.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.