Gnarly Neighbours launched its nationwide campaign in the town where it all began.
Photo by
Billie Davern
It’s said that 90 days is all it takes to turn a habit into a permanent lifestyle change, and Gnarly Neighbours founder and chief executive Jayden Sheridan is definitely using his next 90 days wisely.
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What began in Seymour, in a hub nestled between the tranquil Pioneer Park and the bustling Station St, is avalanching.
Gnarly Neighbours started as a grassroots youth group, with a passion for intervention.
Modelled using its founder’s lived experiences, the initiative, in its relatively short lifespan, has already enacted a profound change in Seymour.
By offering kids skateboarding lessons, providing young people with employment pathways and encouraging creativity, all out of its base of operations, The Neighbourhood, Gnarly Neighbours has created a space for belonging.
Now, Jayden and the team want to take it a step further, creating change Australia-wide in 90 days.
The Gnarly90
The Neighbourhood is a place of belonging, featuring a café, a gaming room, a space for creation upstairs, and, of course, a gnarly skateboard ramp. Pictured is Maddy Cole defying gravity on her skateboard.
Photo by
Supplied
“We want to make something; a safe place for kids to come,” Gnarly Neighbours’ newly appointed marketing aficionado, Jess Ware, known fondly as ‘Jayden’s brain’, said.
“The goal is to have as many of these Neighbourhood hubs in other areas of Australia as possible.”
It all starts on Monday, August 18, when Jayden will begin training for 90 days to tackle a 90km run from Seymour to the inner-city Melbourne suburb Brunswick. This is the Gnarly90.
The nationwide campaign has a big goal: to bring a Neighbourhood to every town in Australia that requires it.
To achieve this, Gnarly Neighbours is enlisting in your help.
The team needs $500 to reach over 100 young people, $20,000 to engage thousands through expanded programs, $500,000 to establish Gnarly teams in every state in the country, and $1 million to build a new, sustainable Neighbourhood hub in a town that needs it.
Since launching the Gnarly 90 website on Monday, August 11, almost $3000 has been raised, but it’s not just about the money.
“We’ve also got a register button where people can go on, and they can sign up as an individual or as a team,” Jess said.
“You can set your own Gnarly90 challenge.”
The possibilities are endless; from tackling a running challenge to staying away from social media, from creating something new to baking 90 cookies.
Ninety days, 90 steps, 90 minutes, 90 sit-ups — your Gnarly90 can be whatever you want it to be.
The ‘why’
Gnarly Neighbours founder Jayden Sheridan dreams of bringing the initiative to every town in the country that needs it.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Gnarly Neighbours is raising funds and awareness for prevention, not reaction.
While teams can fundraise for the cause, simply publicising and speaking about their Gnarly90 aids the mission.
“For me, home wasn’t always a safe place,” Jayden said in the Gnarly90 launch video.
“I started Gnarly Neighbours, not just to teach skateboarding, but to build something I never had: a safe space.
“We’re creating real prevention, not band-aid solutions. Getting kids on board for real change.”
To enact this change across the country, Gnarly Neighbours needs your help.
For more information on the Gnarly90, to follow along the journey, or to sign up, visit gnarly90.com.au/home