We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we operate in, the Noongar People and the Traditional Custodians of our main place of work, the Whadjuk People. We pay respects to the Elders and leaders past, present and future for they hold the memories, the traditions and culture of this country.
2022 was a significant year for Dismantle. Navigating the recalibration of a post-COVID economy delivered persistent challenges to all areas of the business, however, in remaining steadfast to the core mission, the team has delivered outstanding outcomes for WA’s at-risk young people and continues to strive towards dismantling the cycle of entrenched disadvantage.
Dismantle’s flagship outreach program, BikeRescue, reminds us year-on-year of its importance as a service to referral partners ranging from remote indigenous communities, to youth centres and countless schools. Now in its 11th year, the magic of BikeRescue and its ability to connect with teens facing some incredibly tough issues, remains as potent today as it was a decade ago.
Both social enterprise branches, ReNew Property Maintenance and BikeDr., have experienced steady growth in trade activities despite the many hurdles presented by supply chain issues, labour shortages and inflationary pressures. The built-in dichotomy of any social enterprise is that trade is tethered to its capacity to derive impact; the balancing act is making sure one does not grow at the expense of the other. I’m very proud of the maturity and strategic adeptness of the team in managing both the growth of the business, and ensuring the depth of impact to the young people we serve remains at the heart of every decision.
As outgoing Chair following seven years with this incredible organisation, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the partners, volunteers, clients, customers and supporters of our work and mission. We simply couldn’t exist without your invaluable contribution. In equal measure, thank you to my colleagues on the board who volunteer their time and wisdom to ensure a steady ship. I look forward to watching the continued growth of Dismantle on its journey to dismantle disadvantage and build brighter futures for WA’s young people doing it tough.
Phil Renshaw — Outgoing Chair
Once again, the Dismantle team has done an amazing job to enable impact for our young people and strengthen our organisation. Across the functions and units at Dismantle, our team are united in our mission and purpose – to break the cycle of disadvantage, and build better futures for WA’s young people facing barriers that no one should have to.
Our young people too, are committing to their future. Whether it’s painstakingly removing rust from a recycled bike in BikeRescue, tackling overgrown weeds in a park or braving the cold winter morning to catch public transport to work by 6:30am. Our young people show incredible levels of determination that’s an inspiration for the rest of us.
Despite the interruptions and hurdles that Covid-19 brought us and the social sector in WA, we’ve been able to maintain ongoing youth support activities and outcomes. This was enabled by our social enterprise business model, our resilient team and our network of partnerships. In 2022 we partnered with over 100 mental health, youth, local government, education and other working partnerships which are formed at a grass-roots level, working collaboratively to benefit young people having a tough time in our community.
Some of this year was dedicated to stability and we thank our corporate and philanthropic partners for supporting us during this phase of organisational maturity that enabled us to invest in our people, systems and sustainability. Now we’re preparing ourselves for the next phase of growth and excited for the road ahead in 2023.
Pat Ryan — Chief Executive Officer
Dismantle is a non-profit social enterprise with a small suite of programs that empower at-risk young people. We create opportunities that help disadvantaged young people overcome personal and intergenerational barriers.
We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity and support to help them to charter their own course.
There is no silver-bullet when it comes to unraveling the complex nature of entrenched disadvantage, every story is unique.
02.
03.
AT-RISK YOUNG
PEOPLE ENGAGED
71% of revenue generated through trade.
$400K
Over $400,000 of award-wages were paid to our social enterprise youth employees over the course of 2022.
9000
14,000 hours of award-wage employment generated for youth employees.
Excluding employment hours, JobReadii and BikeRescue provided over 9000 hours of training and support for at-risk young people.
500+
Over 500 members of the community donated their time through volunteering.
57 jobs created, 80% being their first job.
900
Approximately 900 rusty old bikes were donated to Dismantle, around 13 tonne of waste diverted from landfill.
MISSION: Empowering WA’s vulnerable young people to overcome socio-inherited hurdles in their critical years, minimising the risk of long-term unemployment and providing fundamental skills and supports that lay the foundations for personal growth, independence and long-term success.
Ideas and outcomes are improved through collaboration. We create a working environment where helping each other is built into the fabric of the organisation.
Dismantle exists to change young peoples lives; everything we do links back to this purpose. Every decision, activity and consideration hinges on how it will contribute to the positive impact our organisation can have on young lives.
We build longlasting services within community so we can create the change needed for young people. We build our business to last, so we can make a lasting impact. We value big impact over big numbers.
Diversity is our superpower. Dismantle values each young person, staff member and stakeholder for their unique qualities, skills, ideas and perspective. We believe that a diverse team is a dynamic one, and that we are the better for it.
We believe empowerment is the foundation of growth. It’s the young people themselves who are in charge of building better futures; we just give them the tools to feel empowered to achieve it.
Youth engagement and outreach.
JobReadii
In-house case management and support.
ReNew PM
Commercial landscaping and property maintenance.
Cycle servicing and retail.
Volunteering
Community engagement supporting operations.
*ReNew Participants
*ReNew Participants
*ReNew Particpants
A wide range of factors may contribute to a young person being deemed “atrisk”. Poverty, experience of abuse or trauma, poor communication and social skills, disability and poor mental health are common factors amongst the young people we work with.
These barriers create further vulnerability such as low school attendance, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, poor health and other social outcomes.
Each young person who is employed or participates in one of Dismantle’s programs lives with their own unique story and navigates their own set of complex challenges every day. Dismantle takes a one-on-one approach to understand unique challenges and aspirations, so we can start working towards a brighter future.
96%
Low socio-economic status
Poverty remains the consistent and prevailing risk factor for Dismantle’s cohort.
75%
Low education engagement
Teachers and referral partners report that 75% of participants have low education attandance and/or engagement.
61%
Mental health concerns
Mental health concerns observed by teachers, guardians, youth workers or staff accounts for more than half of participants.
32%
Developmental delays
Developmental delays, poor social and communicative skills presenting in a third of participants.
31%
Has experienced abuse or trauma
31% of participants have anecdotally reported personal experience with verbal or physical abuse, and trauma.
30%
Alcohol or drug abuse
A third of Dismantle’s cohort experience or have experienced AOD abuse in the home.
BikeRescue is Dismantle’s award-winning, flagship youth outreach and engagement program. Bikes are the hook, engagement is the objective.
BikeRescue is a youth development program that uses hands-on skill-building to engage and mentor young people in need of support. BikeRescue builds knowledge, social skills, confidence and teamwork through various mechanical and mentoring activities.
Over the course of 10 weeks, BikeRescue participants completely dismantle and rebuild two bikes each. The first is donated to charity, which earns them the second one to customise and keep for themselves.
During each session, BikeRescue mentors work alongside participants while safely exploring topics such as mental health, emotional regulation, hobbies, passions, and vocational aspirations. We help participants identify barriers, figure out how to tackle them and provide the support so they can take the next step towards their potential.
BikeRescue participants in 2022
Program referral partners including schools, youth centres and peak bodies.
78%
Graduation rate
Bikes recycled
“In our community there are a lack of pathways to employment and training opportunities, intergenerational poverty and trauma. As a teacher it is very difficult to find connections to much of the curriculum particularly those that are preparing them for employment opportunities that do not exist. We established a local business enterprise idea restoring and selling bikes, that is interesting to our hardest to reach cohort – Indigenous male youths. These students have a long held tradition of walking out or causing disruptions whenever they are faced with a learning challenge. This cycle is very hard to break, they regularly give up before they start. The only program I have delivered that has captured all of the boys in my highschool class’s interest is BikeRescue. This week we stripped and painted our bikes. Halfway through the first day, several of the disruptive students had become frustrated and walked off. But the significant difference is they came back. They refocused. They asked for help. They problem solved. They discussed issues they were having and got help from their peers.
This is why I work for 3 days in a sweltering hot shed in the middle of the wet season instead of an airconditioned classroom. I don’t see this resilience from my students in any other project or learning experience. They walk taller during bike mechanic workshops. They look proud. Some even stay after school or at lunchtime to finish off their tasks. Even if I take out all the classroom learning outcomes that come from running a small business (literacy, numeracy, design and technologies), and focus purely on the mental and social health outcomes, it is still my most valuable learning project.”
ThisprojectwasmadepossiblethankstotheintroductionandcontributionoftheteamatBikes4Humanity who continue to support with bike deliveries to the area.
Employment is one of the most effective tools in breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage. But for at-risk young people, opportunities are hard to come by and the odds are stacked against them.
ReNew is a Work Integrated Social Enterprise on a mission to connect at-risk young people with entry level employment opportunities. Our clients are commercial and government organisations who want to create deeper value with their purchasing power.
For our clients, ReNew Property Maintenance is a high quality, reliable property maintenance service with an extra layer - a strong social outcome.
For Youth Employees, ReNew Property Maintenance is an opportunity to work alongside ReNew’s experienced staff, get that crucial first foot in the door to the workforce and explore a range of vocational pathways through award-wage work experience.
For Dismantle, ReNew Property Maintenance is the opportunity to extend our mentoring and therapeutic support for more young people in WA.
Over 13,000 youth employee hours generated through trade, almost 3X higher than 2021.
2080
Over 2000 7.5 hours shifts generated in 2022.
$370K
$370,000 of award-wage employment for ReNew’s youth employees
47
47 active youth employees working with ReNew in 2022, almost double that of the previous year.
Hayden did not want to join BikeRescue. His parole officer made it a requirement. Fast forward 12 months from graduating at ReNew, Hayden’s employed as a full time FIFO worker in the Pilbara, the job he told us he’d always wanted.
Amongst other challenges he was navigating, when Hayden first arrived at Dismantle he frequently used drugs and alcohol. A dependency that led to theft and other criminal behaviours.
Building rapport with his mentors throughout the BikeRescue program, Hayden was invited to join ReNew Property Maintenance where he told us that waking up early, making a decent lunch and fitness was the toughest part of the job. Despite this, Hayden persevered – developing new habits and taking care of his health. As an older Youth Employee, Hayden often turned his attention to encourage and motivate other Youth Employees in the program that were struggling.
Hayden has now been employed full time for over a year, dropping by recently to tell us he’s got a car, a good rental, a stable relationship and “everything he could ever want.”
Every story is different. JobReadii provides in-house case management and one-onone support to help young people cope with challenges, develop personal and professional skills, and transition into the next phase of their
Every young person has a unique story, challenges and aspirations. Our mission to unlock potential requires on-going support and rapport building.
There is no quick solution or silver bullet to unravel a lifetime of disadvantage. JobReadii works side-by-side with each young person employed by our enterprises to prepare them for the real world. Whether that’s setting up a bank account, finding crisis accommodation, providing a safe space to talk about their challenges or helping them find full-time employment, education or training pathways, JobReadii provides constant support and guidance to each young persons journey.
450
450 hours of one-onone support provided to Dismantle’s young people
71%
71% of graduates were successful in transitioning to further employments.
85%
85% of JobReadii particpants recorded an improvement to their work readiness rating.
18
18 months is the average time spent with ReNew before transitioning on to further employment.
With a Year 10 certificate and no experience, Nikki was rejected from countless jobs and at 17, felt like she had no future.
Nikki was referred to Dismantle through Centrelink where she had been receiving welfare payments for a number of years. She was suffering with mental health, not eating properly and struggling with issues at home; trying to help her mum get her two siblings back into their care. Nikki told us that she felt defeated, that she wasn’t worth anything.
After conversations around her general health and well-being, Nikki’s JobReadii case manager organised to get her on a mental health plan, providing access to a nutritionist and a counsellor. Gradually becoming visibly healthier and more confident, Nikki started working with ReNew Property Maintenance. Feeling connected to a team and developing close friendships with some of her colleagues and peers, Nikki’s confidence and general outlook improved significantly.
After working at ReNew for almost a year, Nikki told her case manager that she wanted to work in retail. We supported her through the application process - building a resume, applying online, practicing interview skills and working out the public transport route to the shop. Nikki was successful and accepted into ongoing employment at a fashion retailer where she still works today.
PERTH’S LEADING CYCLE SERVICING PROVIDER
them, BikeDr. is Perth’s most convenient and professional bike servicing provider... with a twist.
For almost a decade, BikeDr. has been Perth’s most trusted cycle servicing provider – whether its mobile servicing across Perth’s EOT facilities or as the support provider of choice for some of WA’s biggest cycling events, BikeDr. has built its reputation on unparalleled quality and customer service.
But that’s not the only thing that makes BikeDr. stand out from the crowd –as a subsidiary of Dismantle, BikeDr. operates as a social enterprise, meaning that every dollar spent in-store goes towards supporting WA’s young people doing it tough. As well as helping to fund Dismantle’s core business, BikeDr. also offers up to 10 award-wage work-placements each year for young people who have barriers to the mainstream workforce.
38%
BikeDr. contributes 38% of Dismantle’s total trade revenue each year.
$54K
$54,000 of fundraising support through retail and events
5
5 work experience placements offered to Dismantle’s young people.
Brody wasn’t going to school when we met him. He had an awful school experience marked by extreme bullying. This experience made him reluctant to head back to the classroom, despite being encouraged by his parents to apply to TAFE.
Brody joined the Saturday Volunteers at Dismantle HQ. He started to build confidence as he continually chatted to more familiar faces and we learnt that he was a star BMX rider. He also told us that his dream was to run his local BMX track but would never walk into a bike shop to apply for a job because he didn’t think he was skilled enough. This led us to enroll him in a work placement at BikeDr.
Brody was highly skilled on the tools and thrived in the workshop. Following the initial supported work placement, Brody was offered a permanent job at BikeDr. and his skills, confidence and communication with customers and co-workers continues to grow and grow.
Volunteers donated over 5000 hours of time, energy and expertise in 2022, supporting the dayto-day operations at Dismantle and deepening our connection to the community we serve.
Volunteers play an integral role in the daily operations at Dismantle. Each year, Dismantle receives approximately 800 bikes in various states of disarray. Sorting and preparing this quantity of bikes in preparation for BikeRescue takes an extraordinary amount of time and effort. Without volunteers, we simply could not deliver as many programs as we do.
Dismantle was pleased to welcome over 300 Corporate Volunteers from various organisations through the workshop doors this year, taking a break from their offices to make a huge contribution to our organisation. Our 200-strong community of Saturday Volunteers also demonstrated their ongoing dedication and generosity to Dismantle, lending a hand on any given Saturday at Dismantle HQ. To everyone who has generously donated their time, we cannot thank you enough.
5000hrs
Volunteers donated over 5000 hours of their time to support Dismantle.
300pax
Over 300 corporate volunteers came through Dismantle doors in 2022.
200+
Dismantle’s network of committed Saturday Volunteers is over 200 strong.
$135K
Volunteers generated $135,000 in value by donating their time.
“We’ve been working with Dismantle for almost 5 years now. We have formed a solid partnership, sending corporate teams to volunteer there on a regular basis and always receiving positive feedback on their experience.” - Volunteering WA.
Dismantle collects information about the effectiveness of our approach using tools and platforms developed specifically for the program activity and relevance for the intended outcomes. We use a range of quantitative and qualitative measurement techniques to monitor the progress of our youth participants, evaluate the effectiveness of our activities and learn how to improve our approach.
A secure Case Management platform that enables qualitative and story-based updates to be recorded about each youth participant. Completed daily by program workers.
Individual development plans for youth employees, monitored and measured at monthly intervals based on how well youth employees are engaging with their development goals.
A nationally-benchmarked impact measurement platform designed for youth employment initiatives and administered by Social Ventures Australia. Youth employees are surveyed at
Reported by supervisors in quarterly intervals to provide feedback on professional, technical and soft skill development.
Ongoing updates are passed between relevant team members using custommade surveys, secured in our cloud and reviewed monthly.
Payroll and bookkeeping enables accurate information about Youth Employees’ participation in employment activities, consistent income and instances of absenteeism and punctuality.
In the event of a concern for wellbeing, Dismantle uses formal HSEQ incident reporting procedures and monitors trends of young people’s behaviours.
Qualitative feedback from Referral Partners on their experience and observations from programs. Collected as an end-of-program survey.
There is no silver bullet in unraveling systemic disadvantage. Dismantle’s extended pathway model is a stepping-stone approach to rebuilding foundational supports and opportunities that can change the direction of a young life.
It takes a village to do what we do. A heartfelt thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, clients, customers and supporters of Dismantle’s work and mission. We simply couldn’t exist without your invaluable contribution.
A special thanks to our key supporters
