Cry from the Heart: ex-bikie, Arrernte Community Boxing Academy helping Alice Springs teens

When Jason Lord and ex-Rebels bikie sergeant-at-arms Shannon Althouse walk Alice Springs’ streets and sees teen breaking glass and stealing cars they also see a younger version of themselves.

When Jason Lord walks the streets of Alice Springs at night and sees up to 200 teenagers taking their anger out on anything in their sights – he also sees a younger version of himself.

Decades ago, he grappled with an abusive father and a mother struggling with alcohol addiction by stealing cars, breaking into houses and getting into fights.

But today, in the heart of this broken town, Mr Lord and a group of local men are redefining what it means to be a “gangster”.

“Boxing was my avenue … I had a shitty dad, my mum wasn’t there very much. It was a shit life to be growing up in,” he said.

“I was so pissed off and so angry at the world … I’ve been to court as a kid probably 40-50 times.”

Former champion boxer Jason Lord of Arrernte Community Boxing Academy has real solutions for the problems facing his Alice Springs community. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The group run the Arrernte Community Boxing Academy, a not-for-profit that mentors boys and girls and teaches them to box.

Led by mostly Aboriginal men, the kids get an opportunity, for some the first in their young lives, to be nurtured in a safe environment where they can exercise, eat and be “like family”.

“We do get some kids who come off the streets who are directly involved in what’s going on in the Alice,” he said.

“It’s becoming so normal for them to break glass, or steal cars, or break into buildings or scare people in homes.”

But despite many locals describing the initiative as one of the most successful youth support programs in town – the Academy has been let down by a lack of government funding.

Mr Lord said politicians had walked through his doors and patted him on the back for the work he has done but their praise always fails to come with stable and consistent funding.

Funding will allow the organisation’s army of volunteers to quit their day jobs and go out into the streets at night to work with more kids.

“We’ve had all the ministers come through here and say, ‘You guys are the best’… it just seems to disappear when they walk out the door,” he said.

Ex-Rebels OMCG sergeant-at-arms Shannon Althouse began training at ACBA just days after getting out of jail. Picture: Josh Hanrahan

Weeks-out-of-jail ex-Rebels bikie sergeant-at-arms Shannon Althouse also sees his own story when he meets the kids on the streets of Alice Springs.

Growing up in a housing commission estate in Darwin, Mr Althouse is familiar with a life on the path to jail.

“I’ve always grown up around the streets and communities and alcohol and that fuelled violence around the home,” he said.

“Me and my friends used to catch up and ride around the streets and get away from it and basically you do what kids would do in those situations.”

Arrernte community boxing gym founder Jason Lord with rising star Arnold Baird. Picture: Josh Hanrahan

Mr Althouse now mentors kids at Mr Lord’s academy.

“For a lot of these kids, it's a lot safer in the streets than it is back in their homes and communities but it is a lot less safe for other people and businesses.”

Arnold Baird, 15, was walking the streets of Alice Springs wreaking havoc and getting into fights when he was only 11 years old – until Mr Lord found him and brought him to the academy.

Now when he isn’t at school, he spends most of his time learning how to box.

“They have this gangster mentality, going around stealing stuff. All of that is easy, that’s not gangster. Gangster is hard work, me working out every day and boxing.”

To kids that remind him of his 11-year-old self, the teenager has one message: “Get off the streets”.