The origin

Who is Gnarly Neighbours?

Gnarly Neighbours was founded by Jayden Sheridan, who grew up in one of Australia’s most disadvantaged towns. By 15, he was couch surfing, on probation, and caught up with the wrong crowd. At 17, he became a dad and made a promise to create something better. First for his son, then for others like him.

With six skateboards and a vision, he started Gnarly Neighbours to give young people what he never had. A safe place to belong, be supported, and find purpose.

Today, Gnarly runs free daily programs across Victoria including skateboarding, creative workshops, wellbeing sessions, before school breakfasts, and support for youth falling through the cracks.

Through their youth-led social enterprise, The Neighbourhood, young people gain real jobs in the café, print shop, skate store, and indoor skatepark. All profits go back into programs and youth employment.

This isn’t just skateboarding. It’s community, connection, and real prevention.

The movement

How The Gnarly 90 was born

The Gnarly 90 began with one mans refusal to accept a broken system a system that lets vulnerable young Australians slip through the cracks and only offers Band-Aid fixes when it’s already too late.

Jayden Sheridan saw another way: prevention over reaction, connection before crisis. He set out to spark a movement big enough to ignite a national conversation and drive real, lasting change.

That spark became the Gnarly 90 a nationwide challenge where anyone, anywhere, can show up for youth mental health in their own style. Whether it’s 90 push ups, 90 minutes offline, 90 cookies baked, or 90 waves caught, it’s about choosing your challenge and pouring your energy into something that matters, showing up not just for yourself, but for a future where every young person knows they’re worth fighting for.