‘Rally cry’: Cairns youth trainee program hits hard times, launches fundraiser
A Far North training group that works with at-risk youths has entered “survival mode” with the program’s founder desperately seeking to raise $80,000 in order to keep its doors open.
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A Far North training group that works with at-risk youths has entered “survival mode” with the program’s founder desperately seeking to raise $80,000 in order to keep its doors open.
Founded in 2019, Fresh Start Academy has provided barber training and employment opportunities for disengaged young people based in Cairns and Townsville.
But youth worker Rob Hodge announced this week it had suspended its services indefinitely, citing a funding shortfall.
“This is a rally cry to our community,” Mr Hodge said.
“This is a program that has value, merit and definitely has measurable outcomes for young people.”
Around 50 men and women have participated in the academy since its inception with dozens entering the workforce as full-time barbers as a result, Mr Hodge said.
“We’re talking about young people who for a lot of their lives have been kicked from pillar-to-post,” he said.
“But when you’ve got a young person learning how to give a haircut with a seven-year-old child whose mum can’t afford to take him to a barber, there’s a transfer in that interaction that’s priceless.
“To see the shoulders go back and they go home and practice means they’re making a connection.
“They’re drawing a connection in an immersive learning environment.”
This month, the academy will host a fundraiser at its Mulgrave Rd premises with former graduates offering their services to help the business get back on its feet.
“A lot of my barbers have gone on to other places but as soon as they knew about this, they said, ‘Rob, we’ll work all day for you to pay your lease,” Mr Hodge said.
“We’ll get the barbecue going, the music pumping and all our stations full, open the space up so people can get behind us in any way they can.”
The academy has submitted a funding application with successful applicants to be notified in late December, Mr Hodge said.
“We’re now in survival mode,” he said.
“We’ve got from now until hopefully January when we’ll be able to hear about our own submission for funding which hopefully gets us back on track.”
Academy barber Mackenzie Baron-Tenace said trainees learned important life skills through the program while helping the community.
“It just gives you a way out,” the 20-year-old said.
“There’s the creativity of it, meeting new people everyday. Everyone that sits in your chair is different.
“Free haircuts (from trainees) help the less fortunate to feel good about themselves when they don’t have money for it.
“We’ve had kids and adults come in where they haven’t had a haircut in more than eight months. They’ll leave with a smile, fresh feeling, look good and feel good.”
Fresh Start Academy will hold a fundraiser on Friday, August 23 at 194 Mulgrave Rd with seven barbers cutting hair in exchange for donations to the program.
Note: It was previously printed that the Fresh Start Academy’s fundraising event would be held on Monday, August 26 but the date has since changed.
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Originally published as ‘Rally cry’: Cairns youth trainee program hits hard times, launches fundraiser
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