Tamborine-based Youth Enterprise Trust (YET) CEO Ian Frame has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List for his outstanding service to young people and the community.
The Gold Coast resident, who has led YET since 2022, has dedicated decades to helping young people build positive futures through policing, mentoring programs and grassroots sport.
Guided by a “community-first” philosophy, Ian has spent much of his career creating opportunities, fostering resilience and helping young people find a sense of purpose.
Before joining YET, Ian served with the Queensland Police Service for 30 years, where he founded Project Booyah in 2012.
The early intervention mentoring program was designed to break cycles of offending and provide at-risk young people with positive pathways.
More than a decade later, the program continues to deliver successful outcomes by addressing criminogenic behaviours and offering alternatives to incarceration.
“I think the best way to look at it, in my eyes, is to not always think that we have to handcuff our way out of everything as policing,” he said.
“We’re never going to stop them offending, but we want to minimise the severity of the offending and minimise the volume that they are offending.”
Alongside his policing career, Ian has maintained a lifelong connection to rugby league and has coached at various sporting clubs since 2010.
He first stepped into coaching when his son Jackson’s Under 7s team needed a coach and now leads the Helensvale Hornets Open Men’s Grade A side.
For Ian, sport has always been about more than the scoreboard.
“Football is just the vessel to be a part of these young men and women’s lives,” he said.
“I’m still in contact with nearly every one of the people I’ve coached over the years and still have a good relationship with them because you genuinely care for them.
“Results are short-lived, but relationships are long-term.”
Since leaving the force and taking the reins at YET, Ian has focused on strengthening the organisation’s foundations and building momentum for a youth-focused hub in Tamborine.
“There’s something therapeutic about this place and it’s really rich in not only history but in a healing process,” he said.
“I think this area has been screaming for one location which has multiple opportunities for young people…where they can actually engage and feel part of the environment.”
While Ian has received numerous accolades throughout his career, he said the OAM reflected the collective efforts of the many people he had worked alongside.
“Sometimes awards feel very individualised – this one doesn’t,” he said.
“This one feels like every person that I’ve worked with; this represents them.
“I look at it as a validation of a journey of a life where all these people have contributed.”
Despite the national recognition, Ian remains focused on the future, continuing to pursue big plans for YET and create lasting opportunities for young people across the Tamborine community and beyond.
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