The issue
At-risk young people face significant exposure to harmful environments and developmental barriers that, without early intervention and support, become a generational legacy.
Social mobility for young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds continues to decline while youth suicide, self-harm, juvenile incarceration, domestic violence and general disengagement are on the rise. This reality makes it increasingly difficult for at-risk young people to cope with the hurdles they face and make a go of it.
There is an important need for youth services to engage, support and guide our future generations to become happy, independent adults.
Dismantle’s approach
Dismantle offers a number of hands-on, skills-based programs and employment pathways to enable WA’s at-risk young people to reach their potential and manage their life in a self-directed way.
Flagship outreach program, BikeRescue, uses bike mechanics as a platform to re-engage young people and provide supportive mentoring over the course of the program that involves the dismantling and reassembly of bikes destined for landfill. The first bike is donated to charity and the second they earn to keep. The process helps to break down barriers between youth workers and participants, working together to build skills, confidence, emotional regulation, perseverance… and bikes!
To further extend contact and support for youth participants, Dismantle launched ReNew Property Maintenance, a social enterprise that provides commercial-level gardening and property services. The initiative enables government and corporate clients to use their purchasing power to assist unemployed young people enter the workforce, further reducing the likelihood of long-term dependence on welfare. ReNew Property Maintenance continues Dismantle’s mission to find creative ways to engage, empower and provide hands-on experience to benefit WA’s at-risk young people.
What's innovative about it
An alternate approach
BikeRescue provides at-risk young people with much needed intervention, therapy and support through a hands-on collaboration with youth workers to build bikes.
Fosters wellbeing
BikeRescue supports young people to gain the knowledge, thinking skills, attitudes and behaviours required to manage their life, learning and work in positive, self-directed ways.
Community driven
BikeRescue works in collaboration with local community partners to ensure participants can continue their development beyond completion of the BikeRescue program.
Readily adapted
BikeRescue License gives youth workers and other mentoring bodies the skills and tools to run BikeRescue programs in their local community.
Meet Matt
16 year old Matt was referred to BikeRescue to fulfil a juvenile justice community service order. He’d been out of school for months and in trouble with the police.
Matt picked up mechanics quickly, however his emotional outbursts made it difficult to access this talent; he’d get frustrated at a seized component, or when the build work became too difficult.
Once Matt had built trust and rapport with BikeRescue Mentors they were able to teach him emotional regulation concepts that help him keep his cool through difficult moments.
When Matt explained he did not have a home to sleep in one night, BikeResue Mentors were also able to arrange housing and family intervention support.
At the program’s completion Matt began volunteering at Dismantle HQ, helping to fix bikes used on other programs. This led to a positive reference to give to the judge, which helped him avoid a jail sentence. Matt’s now on a path to complete his schooling through alternate education providers.
Positive impact so far
220
programs supporting young people2200
young people participating150+
project partners64000
support hours for participants2950
bikes recycled750
bikes donated to charitySustainable Development Goals
Proud funding partners through SVA
- Euroz Limited (Euroz Charitable Foundation)
- Azure Capital Charitable Foundation
- Philanthropy Australia
To learn more contact
Matthew Deeble
Executive Director, Strategic Business OperationsMatt has 20 years’ experience in building and running enterprises in education, health and...
Contact MattRead more about Live Projects and Ventures
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