Farmer Dave Graham, Director and Co-Founder of RuffTRACK provides the background of RuffTRACK and their work with young people in north western sydney.
About RuffTRACK:
RuffTrack is an awesome youth program based at the RuffTRACK Farm near Riverstone. A fully registered charity, we take on young people (13-17 years old) who have disengaged with school and the community to give them skills, education, a sense of self worth and reconnecting them with their community. We work closely with Hawkesbury police and the incredible BackTrack Youth Works to make a real change in young people’s lives.
Each young person bonds with a dog in their first days. That partnership takes them on a journey of learning responsibility, caring for others and communicating without violence. The team then travels the country demonstrating their skills and giving them purpose and a reason to give life a serious go.
Skills attained in the program include dog training, dog sports, horticulture, landscaping, welding, aluminium fabrication, animal husbandry, leather work, wood work, driving and licence attainment, carpentry, mechanics, bushcraft, domestic skills, nutrition and physical education, effective communication, conflict resolution, building healthy relationships….. and a whole lot more!
