Wayside Chapel's Reverend Graham Long nominated for Pride of Australia award

WHEN Reverend Graham Long began his tenure at the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, the building was run down and empty.

PRIDE of AUSTRALIA - REVEREND GRAHAM LONG

WHEN Reverend Graham Long began his tenure at the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross, the building was run down and empty.

But for the past nine years he has worked tirelessly to rebuild it and open its doors to everyone in the community as a means for rehabilitation.

Champion of the people Venietta Slama-Powell

Mr Long, who has been nominated for a Pride of Australia Community Spirit award, said he used to dream of setting up a place where members of the community could come and be free of discrimination.

"It's not very often in life you get to see a dream work out," he said.

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He said seeing people's lives turn around as a result of the in-house programs made him very proud to be head of such a worthwhile project.

"We had a fellow who was a drunk of the very first order," he said.

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"He had a very good job, like a lot of these guys, but his marriage broke down and his employer gave him the sack so he hit the bottle big time.

"Now he is re-employed in the same industry and has even reconciled with his three daughters. Every weekend he gives back to Wayside as a volunteer."

Nominations will be accepted until Tuesday, July 16.

TO SEE ALL THE CATEGORIES AND NOMINATIONS, GO TO WWW.PRIDEOFAUSTRALIA.COM.AU