Well-known throughout the Logan City community, Chaplain Nick Carroll has been invested in supporting the local community for many years.
Mr Carroll grew up in Beenleigh, and had generations of family living in the Beenleigh shire since 1890. He then moved to Logan as a young adult.
It was in his early 20’s that he decided he really wanted to give back to his community.
“In my early 20’s, I made big life choices to clean my act up,” Mr Carroll said. “I became a Christian, and was mentored by a great guy who taught me about community and looking after people.
“Not so much to change the world, but to change the people you meet in our day-to-day lives.”
Since 2004, Mr Carroll has been doing that any way he can.
Community Chaplain Nick Carroll. Photo supplied.
“By starting small, I began slowly growing, and learning life skills and knowledge, working with community groups and youth groups, and it really grew from there,” he said. “In 2010, I began volunteering in a community centre, and it eventually led to creating the Eagleby Giants.”
The Eagleby Giants is a Rugby League Football club for Under 6 to Under 15’s, and Senior men’s and women’s teams.
“It took two years to build up, and we started only a handful of players and balls,” Mr Carroll said. “We eventually built it up to a major club.”
The community club also offers community members a range of programs including ‘Grow’ which helps people overcome anxiety, depression, relationship breakdowns or addiction, and ‘The Shed’, a men’s program designed to encourage men to meet together and talk.
“There’s a local guest speaker who visits during ‘The Shed’ sessions, and tells their life story and how they overcome things,” Mr Carroll said. “You can learn a lot from just hearing about someone’s life.”
Mr Carroll is also a social worker and school Chaplain for Eagleby State School, a role he originally thought he could not succeed in.
“I didn’t think I could do it, but I just went for it,” Mr Carroll said. “Sometimes it’s about waiting for the right opportunity.
“Just because you fail at certain things doesn’t mean you’re a failure, you just need to find your groove.”
Mr Carroll said the thing he enjoys most about his role, is that he loves being part of the families within the community.
“I enjoy having the opportunity to pass on life skills, and be a support and just investing hope into the next generation,” he said.
