Breaking the cycle

Why bikes?

While it may not be immediately obvious, the link between bikes and youth social work is very natural says Ryan as bikes are an important form of self-expression for kids.

“A bicycle to a young person represents the ability to get around their neighbourhood. So it offers independence but it also helps form their identity," Ryan says.

“Do they have a race bike, or a mountain bike, or a BMX? It says a lot about who they are.

“Fostering the relationship between adults and kids can sometimes be difficult. A lot of the time, the adults providing support get in the way of young peoples’ fun and it’s really difficult to overcome this dynamic.”

“With bike mechanics," Ryan says, "we’ve found a really engaging shared activity that staff – youth workers – can do, but also that young people are motivated to take part in.”

Dismantle runs two bike-inspired programs, BikeRescue and BikeTherapy, working with between 200 to 300 kids every year.

Alongside these programs, they operate BikeDr - a business that generates income for Dismantle to fund its charity initiatives. BikeDr makes money from mobile bike servicing, repairing peoples’ bikes at workplaces throughout the Perth CBD and at cycling events in Perth and regional WA and also partners with workplaces, local councils and schools running bike maintenance courses.

BikeRescue – mentoring bike mechanics

BikeRescue is Dismantle's flagship initiative and follows a simple yet successful formula.

Up to 12 young people (per program) choose two bikes each to restore – the first for charity and the second to keep for themselves. Over 10 weeks, they’re mentored and trained by bike mechanic / youth workers to repair the bike and help themselves.

“What happens when you place a bike between two people and start working on it? Turns out, it’s a really natural and positive dynamic,” Ryan says, “and the recipe for really special and positive relationships between youth workers and kids.”

Rusted, busted and abandoned bikes are donated to Dismantle by partners including  WA Police, Department of Transport and Rottnest Island Authority.

BikeTherapy – not your typical occupational therapy

Beyond BikeRescue, Dismantle also runs BikeTherapy, a more tailored initiative that looks to give stronger support by teaching them emotional skills.

“Through BikeRescue we could see that a lot of the young people we were meeting needed a higher level of focus and support around gaps in their resilience – a lot of the time they display a lack of emotional resilience resulting from experiences in their disadvantaged worlds,” Ryan says.

"We want to help young people to better handle the extreme highs and lows in their lives – especially the lows – that are typical of emotional disregulation. 

"If kids can identify their emotions, they can better manage them in their day-to-day lives. It's also helping young people identify and avoid negative relationships," Ryan says.

BikeTherapy employs an occupational therapist and combines BikeRescue workshops with Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT) group sessions, with an emphasis on mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance.

“Ultimately, we want to give disadvantaged young people the tools they need to pursue exciting employment pathways and new education opportunities – all while getting their hands dirty and having some fun."

*Not the subject’s real name

Image credit: Clayton Jauncey

Dismantle by the numbers

• 200–300: The number of young people Dismantle engages with each year.
• 400: The average number of bikes Dismantle receives and restores.
• 13–17: The average age range of the young people participating in BikeRescue.
• 26.4%: The percentage of young people aged 16–24 who experience a mental health issue or substance misuse disorder each year.
• 10%: The percentage of young people aged 15–24 who are not in education, employment or training.