Kennards Hire Foundation

15/07/2026

A truly well-deserved honour. Congratulations Gary on being recognised as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Your unwavering commitment to young people and your community over the past 24 years has created opportunities, changed lives and inspired so many.

We are thrilled to see our founder, Gary Diprose, honoured as a member of the NZ Order of Merit in this year's King's Birthday Honours.
Gary is a pillar of our community, and his work over the past 24 years has brought us to where we are today.
Please join us in congratulating him for these years of dedication to our young people and our wider community.
Well done, Gary - you're a legend!

The official spiel:
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
For services to youth.

Mr Gary Diprose established the Springboard charitable trust in 2002 to support vulnerable young people in the Warkworth area.

In the early days of Springboard, Mr Diprose offered an alternative education programme for young people who had been excluded from mainstream school due to behavioural issues. He worked with local Police youth aid to expand the organisation to provide a wraparound support model for vulnerable children and their families. He has built Springboard up to purchase premises with an adjoining campground, with a full-time staff of around 40 and a fleet of vehicles supporting around 450 young people, having supported thousands over the years. The organisation now supports alternative education, a youth offenders programme, driver training, social worker support, mentoring and work placement programmes, and a programme working with young people who have left school and are not engaged in further education or work. Mr Diprose has directed Springboard to a high success rate of transforming the lives of young people affected by abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and dysfunctional family situations. As a result of Springboard’s work, the youth crime and re-offending rates in the Warkworth and Wellsford areas are at an all-time low. Springboard was recognised with AMP Capital People's Choice Award in 2017.

15/07/2026

Twenty years of changing lives, and the impact keeps growing. Congratulations to BackTrack Youth Works on this incredible milestone. 💙 Everyone at Kennards Hire Foundation and Kennards Hire are proud to support your work. Help BackTrack continue changing young lives by making a donation today.

10/03/2026

We’re proud to support our non-profit partner, Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, as they welcome their 2026 cohort and celebrate an incredible milestone: 10 years of impact.

The annual MITS Family BBQ is a special moment for students, families and staff to come together, build connections and start the year feeling supported. Thanks to the generosity of our Mornington team, this year’s event was another fantastic success.

Read more about the celebration below 👇

03/03/2026

What does independence look like for a young person doing it tough? It might be finishing school. Landing a first job. Finding confidence. Feeling supported.

We love backing these incredible non-profit partners across Australia and New Zealand who are helping young people overcome barriers and build brighter futures.

Australia: BackTrack Youth Works | Dismantle | Ganbina | KidsXpress | Melbourne Indigenous Transition School | Stepping Stone House | The Karrkad Kanjdji Trust the Homeland School Company | TRACTION for Young People | The Smith Family

New Zealand: KidsCan | Springboard

We’re also excited to welcome two new partners:
Country Education Foundation of Australia, expanding into Western Australia to increase access to further education, and Lighthouse Youth Projects Inc., delivering the TRAILS program across Adelaide to build resilience and wellbeing in young people at risk of disengaging from school.

These organisations are helping young people build the skills, confidence and resilience to create their own independence, take control of their futures, and contribute positively to their communities 🙌🏽

👉 Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing real stories and impact from these partnerships. Stay tuned.

26/02/2026

We’re excited to share this early-stage initiative aimed at creating a more connected and resilient landscape for wildlife in the MidCoast. 🌿

It’s still just the beginning, but the collaboration between local landholders, councils, and conservation groups holds real promise for protecting species like koalas, gliders, and quolls. Here’s to hoping this initiative grows into something truly impactful for both wildlife and the community.

26/02/2026

Take a moment to read this important article highlighting the challenges facing our communities and the urgent need for BackTrack’s model in every region. It’s a powerful reminder of why this work matters and why solutions like BackTrack Youth Works are needed now more than ever.
Kennards Hire

In a sign of the BackTrack program’s true success, politicians want to replicate it and most of the children involved never want to leave.

17/02/2026

💚 Backing Dismantle: Real Impact for Young People in Perth 💚

Dismantle is one of our valued non-profit partners in Perth, and we’re proud to support their life-changing work with young people through the BikeRescue program and JobReadii wrap-around support. These programs build life skills and confidence helping young people move into meaningful employment, training, or education, and supports our vision of empowering disadvantaged young people to become independent, active contributors to society.

Recently, Dismantle and its social enterprise ReNew Property Maintenance have been nationally recognised at the 2025 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards for their “prevention through opportunity” approach.

Since 2019, ReNew has employed more than 160 young people, with over 70% transitioning into further employment or study.

🎬 Below: Watch Dismantle’s award video to see the impact firsthand.

Kennards Hire

23/12/2025

Our partner Karrkad Kanjdji Trust and Homeland School Company is making amazing progress towards registering their first independent homeland school in the Djelk Indigenous Protected Area. Stay tuned!

23/12/2025

**MUST WATCH**

So moved by this beautiful tribute to Max and Joan’s legacy 🙌✨
Their story is a powerful reminder of the impact one life and one partnership can have on a community.

Watching this, you can feel the love, resilience, and inspiration that flows through every moment. Thank you for sharing their journey and the mark they’ve left on so many hearts 💫❤️

23/12/2025

Take a look behind the scenes at Dismantle 🎥✨
This video shares how their programs work and the real ways they support and empower young people, creating opportunities that make a lasting difference 💛