Seymour grassroots youth group Gnarly Neighbours is going from strength to strength, building a sense of community and letting kids, big and small, shred.
Born out of Seymour dad Jayden Sheridan’s own challenging childhood and his desire to turn it all around after the birth of his son, Gnarly Neighbours uses Mr Sheridan’s passion for skating to provide something better for local kids than what he experienced growing up.
Starting with a handful of kids and six skateboards, the group has boomed. Having started just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the skate sessions were largely on hold due to government restrictions until last year.
Now, Gnarly Neighbours is a full-time venture for Mr Sheridan, with six employees, 25 volunteers and nine committee members and the support of the community.
Free session are run three times a week — after school on Mondays and Wednesdays and during the day on Saturdays — in the Seymour Shed, with upwards of 150 kids attending each week.
Free creative sessions for kids are run once a month, with activities such as screen printing, tie-dyeing and skateboard art.
For Mr Sheridan, sharing his passions with the kids is a fun and therapeutic way to keep them engaged.
“Just to give kids an endless amount of things to do — kids get bored, that’s perfectly fine, but I want kids to throw something over their shoulder and then they are on to the next session,” Mr Sheridan said.
“I’ve always had hobbies. I get to fusion bomb it all together for the kids, but really it’s for me.”
The youth group collaborates with council youth services across Mitchell, Strathbogie and Murrindindi shires.
For Mr Sheridan, who grew up wanting to be a youth counsellor, building up relationships with kids before they run into trouble is the best preventative measure.
“I feel like our biggest engagement is four to 12 years old. I see that’s where you make the improvements, so you don’t have that problem later on,” he said.
“I kind of see Gnarly Neighbours as being the mortar in between the concrete, so the kids don’t fall through the cracks. It’s that in-between stage before they actually need that serious help and support.
“It’s just giving them something to do, so it might not even have to get to that.
“It’s about finding the common ground. You can read so much by even the way a kid’s skating or the attitude and then you can put that to the right places.”
Not just for little kids, Gnarly Neighbours has begun holding adult skate sessions and running workshops for the big kids as a fundraising method.
“We’ve been having like 20 to 25 adults, mums, dads, some grandmas, grandpas, getting into it and people getting back into it, which is sick for a sense of community,” Mr Sheridan said.
Building on the sucsess of the group so far, Gnarly Neighbours has plans for expansion, hoping to secure a dedicated space in Seymour and set up hubs in Shepparton and Bendigo.
Not stopping there, Mr. Sherriden has plans to set up a training program allowing Gnarly Neighbours to be franchised and expand to schools across the region and eventually around Australia.
“We’ve got a lot of plans for the future, but for now we’re hitting everything we need to and making sure the kids are engaged and loving it,” Mr Sheridan said.
To get involved, visit https://gnarlyneighbours.com.au/