Running Wild is a Southern Moreton Bay Islands based not-for-profit, focused on providing social services for our community. We exist to support individuals and other local organisations, together helping to create a positive community for all.

Tired of hearing negative talk about young people on the islands – “haven’t they got anything better to do”, “why don’t they go fishing or something” and “in my day”, Running Wild was founded in 2013 to highlight a positive youth profile in our community.

Since then, programs have expanded to support families, the long-term unemployed, and other people in need, through direct training and employment programs as well as the creation of social enterprises designed to build a circular economy for our islands. We believe we achieve our best results working with other community organisations to make change happen together.

What we do

Social enterprises

Social enterprises are businesses that trade to intentionally tackle social problems, improve communities, help people access employment and training, or help the environment. In Queensland, there are hundreds of social enterprises operating all over the state, and we run three here on the islands.

Operating these social enterprises, Running Wild has been able to create nine jobs that didn’t exist before on the islands, and every cent of income goes back into achieving the objectives of the social enterprise, or helps support Running Wild’s overall mission to provide support services for the islands.

Training & Employment Programs – We’re hiring now

This area has been one of Running Wild’s most successful and rewarding contributions to our community.

We started facilitating Work for the Dole in 2015, but the mainstay has been the Work Skills Traineeships under the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program. Running since 2017, this program won Best Community Training Initiative of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards 2018. Most recently we have also run Conservation Cadetships to support people with disabilities from the islands into further employment.

These programs provide paid employment opportunities for islanders, whilst they gain skills, experience, and on-the-job training, as well as formal qualifications. Since 2017 more than 50 islanders have taken part in one of these programs, and more than 80% have gone on to long-term employment. The projects they work on, and the relationships they form also leave a visible and long-lasting impact on social infrastructure in our small, local community.

APPLICATIONS FOR OUR CONSERVATION TRAINEESHIPS HAVE NOW CLOSED. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY IN AUGUST 2024.

Youth Programs

More than 250 young people have taken part in school holiday, creative arts programs, or youth mentoring over the last five years. This increases positive participation in the community, changing negative profiles, and allows us to link individuals and families to specialist supports.

Social Services

In addition to our programs, Running Wild has had a “no wrong door” policy when it comes to people in need. All of our staff are trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, and our CEO and Founder is a qualified Youth Worker, and trained crisis response worker. With our existing relationships into mainland outreach services, we are able to support a person into the long-term care they need, and have been able to offer temporary food relief via our hospitality team.

Until recently we have been the only out of hours service that can respond to a crisis situation on the islands, bar the Ambulance and Police, but have had to reduce this service, along with all referrals and non-social enterprise activity due to a lack of funding.