RYLAN MCELHONE

Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown)—Rylan McElhone, a student at St Mary's Primary School at Warners Bay, is a member of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle's Virtual Academy, a program aimed at supporting gifted students from years 5-8 across the Diocese. As part of his involvement in the program, Rylan was asked to research a solution to a problem he felt compelled to solve. Interested in growing and cooking his own food, animal rights and welfare and sustainable food production, Rylan has designed a vegan burger that he thinks will challenge people's perceptions of eating plant-based meat. Rylan created an online survey asking peers and adults what it was that might persuade them to eat plant-based meat, analysed the responses and designed a new type of vegan burger. The burger uses kale, spinach, mushrooms and chia seeds as an alternative to beef. Rylan told the Newcastle Weekly, "I first became passionate about the plight of animals when I first went vegetarian for Lent in 2019. That year I introduced myself to plant-based products. I didn't know anything about plant-based products and I thought that meat was the best." Rylan's ingenuity and creativity is an inspiration, and I wish him all the best.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!