Do Something Day ambassador Winter Vincent started his first charity aged just nine

AT JUST nine, Winter Vincent started his first charity. Since then, the 12-year-old’s philanthropic efforts have changed people’s lives. He’s a proud ambassador for this year’s Do Something Day.

Twelve-year-old Sydney surfer Winter Vincent has a message for people: when you see a need, do something to help. He is the ambassador for Do Something Day. Picture: Richard Gosling

• Do Something Day is on Wednesday, July 19

• Promotes volunteering, charities and kind acts

• Giving time is as important as giving money

• Take our online quiz to find your matched charity

• Visit dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/dosomethingday

HE WAS just nine years old and at primary school when he started his own charity which has helped improve the life of an entire community 6,500 kilometres from home.

So far Winter Vincent’s philanthropic efforts have resulted in the installation of more than 200 water filtration units for the impoverished people of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands.

Now aged 12, and an ambassador for this year’s Do Something Day, the young Sydney surfer has a message for people closer to home: when you see a need, do something to help.

“I think everybody should because there are a lot of people in this world who are very lucky and there are lot of people who are very unlucky,” Winter said.

“I think the people who are lucky should go out ... and do any small thing to help make someone else’s life happier. In return, they will feel very good.”

Winter Vincent with village elders in the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia in 2014. Picture: Mel Koeman

Do Something Day on July 19 is an initiative of NewsLocal newspapers, ClubsNSW and the Do Something charity to promote volunteering, highlight charity work and inspire random acts of kindness.

The inaugural campaign last year was a resounding success, promoting thousands of large and small acts of kindness from cooking meals for the homeless to buying coffees for a stranger and sharing the good vibes on social media.

While not everyone is in a position to help an entire community, Winter said there was no reason why people couldn’t do something positive for somebody else.

“Whenever someone helps another person, they really appreciate it.”

Demonstrating the water filtration for the village of Sarasau in 2016. Picture: Rod Owen

Meeting Governor-general Peter Cosgrove in 2015.

His Surf To School initiative encourages schools to allow students to have surf-themed mufti days to raise funds.

So far more than $46,000 has been directed to the Mentawai Islands to pay for water filtration in partnership with Waves For Water and surf brand Hurley after Winter learned of the problems experienced by locals at one of his favourite surfing spots.

“The reason I started doing it was because I found out people were dying just because they didn’t have clean water,” he said.

“They were dying because they were going to dirty rivers and trying to boil water, which was not working because they didn’t know how to do it properly.
“I thought that maybe I could help them because I love surfing in the Mentawai Islands — it’s such a great spot.”

Do Something Day Angel Kimberly Morey hands out water bottles last year. Picture: John Appleyard

And while Winter is the face of the initiative, he insists it wouldn’t have been as effective as it is if not for the 30 schools around the world who have gotten on-board with Surf To School.

Asked what he got out of volunteering his time to help others in need, the top young surfer said: “It’s really rewarding and it makes me feel really good inside.”

Among the NSW charities supported by Clubs NSW and highlighted in this year’s Do Something Day are Youth Off The Streets, Little Wings, Surf Lifesaving NSW, Learning Links and Life Education.

THE DO SOMETHING DAY CHARITIES

Nationally other charity partners include the Salvation Army, Foodbank, RSPCA, Vinnies and Meals on Wheels.

The inaugural campaign last year was a resounding success, promoting thousands of acts of kindness from cooking meals for the homeless to buying coffees for a stranger, with the good vibes shared on social media.