Keeping young people safe

Red Frogs Australia
Genuine. Hardworking. Humble

Skateboarding accountant Andrew (Andy) Gourley is the founder of Red Frogs and works with around 3500 volunteers to safeguard 1.4 million young Australians a year.

Andy is mostly known for the Red Frogs’ role at 12 schoolies locations across Australia, Bali and Fiji in pre-COVID years, where he and the volunteers take care of more than 80,000 revellers by providing emotional support, walking people home safely, cleaning up messy rooms, ensuring they stay hydrated, supplying breakfast and generally being a calming presence.

The volunteers also safeguard around 750,000 people at over 42 festivals a year and provide crowd welfare support at sports events.

Andy often works late with young people at schoolies events or university residential colleges. Then he is up early at the BBQ, preparing the famous Red Frogs pancake breakfast.

Andy’s journey of giving started at Mount Gravatt when he noticed a few skateboarders getting up to no good. He and some mates started a skateboarding youth club to keep them out of trouble.

“After five years, we had five clubs around the Brisbane south area looking after 120 local kids a week,” says Andy. “Although some ended up in jail or passed away, some went on to be successful tradies and business owners.”

Andy says he is honoured to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “It is always humbling to be recognised by others, it should never be your motivation, but it’s nice when it happens.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. Red Frogs will use its funds for a Year 9 education campaign and a skateboard mentoring program.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here