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Gnarly Neighbours empowers kids through skateboarding and community

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Maddy Cole defies gravity in her skateboard. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

Picking up a new hobby or activity may seem hard, but the school holidays and great weather might be the perfect reason to start.

Gnarly Neighbours, Seymour’s local skateboard park, cafe, and gaming stop, is a great place to start.

The Neighbourhood, which is a combination of a cafe, skateboard park, hangout space, and a creative workshop, holds classes for people of all ages throughout the week.

Gnarly Neighbours founder Jayden Sheridan said what they do at ‘The Neighbourhood’ is always for the kids.

Savannah McLaughlin rides the wind at the Gnarly Neighbours Kids Skate Class. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

“The kids are joining in because we have the most fun helping the kids do it,” he said.

“All the parents are just so stoked with the confidence that shows in their kids.”

“Trying to tell your own kid to do something, it might be hard.

“You can see where they're they might be folding or have some struggles, but having someone else that could get on their level and help them push past that ... we really just kind of helped turn the table and all the seeds parents planted, we get to kind of push a little bit further.

Aimee McLaughlin builds up the confidence to get on her board. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

“So many parents are just saying that they see completely different kids.”

Gnarly Neighbours currently have five skateboarding coaches, including their first female coach, Tegan Campbell.

Mr Sheridan said he hopes this pushes away the narrative that skateboarding is only a ‘boys sport’.

“People that might have been on the fence, or the parents that might have been on the fence that it was just a boy sport,” he said.

Evelyn Wylie looks at the camera as she goes down the ramp. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

“It's just really like empowering them to come in and skate and that, and it shows with our participants.”

Mr Sheridan says this comes as very empowering, too, especially after 14-year-old Australian skateboarder Arisa Trew won gold at the Paris Olympics.

Gnarly Neighbours, which started out with just Mr Sheridan with six boards at Seymour’s skate park, has now grown into a social enterprise, catering Seymour and surrounding towns, but the sky’s the limit for them.

“I started six boards going down the skate park and then just offering to teach kids to stay just because I wanted a better environment than I grew up in, and then that just obviously snowballed,” Mr Sheridan said.

Felix Hornhardt (green helmet), Olivia McLaughlin (yellow helmet), Heidi Richardson (black helmet), and Maddy Cole (rainbow helmet) learn the basics on the grass with Tegan Campbell. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

“We've got the social enterprise and people supporting ... just coming in, getting a coffee, having a look at what we do, and just supporting in that way, so it's really gone from strength to strength.

“Once I make it happen for Seymour, which I'm really passionate about, and it needed to happen for way too long.

“I got sick of waiting for someone else to do it, and now as a community, we've done it together.

Currently, Gnarly Neighbours has partnered with Deakin University to show the changes they are making by instilling confidence, social incursions, and having an open door policy at The Neighbourhood.

Felix Hornhardt shows off his 'special trick'. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale

Soon, Mr Sheridan will also be launching the six-board program to bring Gnarly Neighbours all over Australia.

“Everywhere around Australia, people can apply,” he said.

“They get sent six boards, child safety policies, training, coaching training, from the same way I teach, and we teach here at The Neighbourhood.

“They can do it now for their community, and then from there, that's when we open up The Neighbourhoods around the Australia.”

Felix Hornhardt is excited for his first lesson on the board. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Charlene McLaughlin (red shirt) helps her daughter, Aimee McLaughlin, build the confidence to skate. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Savannah McLauhlin shows the kids how to shred the ramp. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Savannah McLaughlin throws in a cool pose as she skates towards the camera. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Liz Henzell (red shirt) helps her daughter, Evelyn Wylie, perfect her tricks. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Heidi Richardson (right) learns how to balance on the board with Tegan Campbell (left). Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Heidi Richardson gets support from her teacher, Tegan Campbell. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale
Maddy Cole shows off her skills in the skate ramp. Photo: Faith Macale Photo by Faith Macale