But I most commonly go by Thomas, Tom, Princey, Prince, “That dude from Babylon” or even “UberTom”

After 30 years in Bendigo, I’ve always found myself connecting with people and trying to make a difference in their lives. I guess as the above indicates, people don’t necessarily know my name but still know who I am and what I’m doing.

My childhood and youth was spent in a ‘normal’ upbringing with the incorporation of sports, music, faith and family as structural foundations and after a taste of university, I decided that I wanted to be different. The reality was that everything I was passionate about at that time didn’t create an income and I had to make the decision on what I’d prioritise. Money or purpose.

I committed myself to working part-time to allow myself the time to dedicate to other interests. I’ll be honest, low income sucks! But, for what it allowed me to do, the sacrifice has been worth it. It also put me in the position to always prioritise my values and spend my time reflecting those values while considering the needs vs wants of life.

I’ve had the opportunity to give back to my childhood sports club (Spring Gully United Soccer Club) through service, participation and leadership and also help be apart of the creation of a new organisation and it’s development (Bendigo Dragons Gridiron Club).

Through my 9 years at the Dragons I have created a thriving schools program, community support initiatives and a culture of supporting the Greater Bendigo community.

These commitments taught me a valuable lesson, I quickly learned that I can’t achieve everything myself. And a more effective way of helping others would be in an advisory capacity.

Through this approach I’ve assisted in the many projects such as of the Bendigo Blaze Cheerleading (Bendigo Blaze Pom Team), The Neighbourhood Project and support for various sporting clubs across the state.

But how do you earn the dollars I’m often asked? Well…

I spent 6 years at Bendigo Wholefoods where I grew a better understanding of health which has evolved into a everlasting personal pursuit.

I also had an amazing opportunity to co-manage Babylon Lounge and Garden Bar from its beginning and witness the roller coaster that is navigating the red tape of small business creation. 

But now, I have returned to UberEats. After flirting with the experience while awaiting Babylons opening, I found a job that allowed me the flexibility to balance my commitments and my lifestyle. But not only that, it gave me a connection to people and small businesses in a grassroots sort of way that I find quite refreshing. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to have direct experience to the impact of the restrictions on the hospitality industry and to regularly chat to employees and owners on how they are managing survival has been invaluable.

So why run for Council? 

For those who don’t know, I actually ran for council in 2016 in missed out by a very narrow margin and after 4 years I’ve found that my passion for Bendigo and people hasn’t waivered, if anything, it’s even more encompassing than before.

To answer the question directly; After focusing my time on people for the last 14, I realised in 2014 that with my skill set, being a councillor would be the most effective way I could help engage my passion and further my community. 

The thing I enjoy the most. The people! Engaging with them, finding out who they are and what they really need is a rewarding experience. 

Now thats not to say I have all the answers and can solve all the problems however if I can connect people with the resources, support and information to achieve their own outcomes, that’s not only a powerful experience for a person but a sustainable one for all involved.