It is not every day that a group of teenagers does you the honour of naming a young kid only a couple of days old after you, but that's what the boys at RuffTrack Farm did for me when showing me around their property with their goats, sheep, horse, ducks and assorted other animals and, of course, dogs. Dogs are possibly the key ingredient of the youth charity that takes the most vulnerable young people from the Hawkesbury between the ages of 13 and 17 and gives them the tools, skills and confidence to set their own direction.

You have probably seen video of dogs jumping high up the K9 Super Wall into the arms of their young owners. That's the result of a deep bond that's developed between dog and teenager. There are 24 dogs, and the bond starts with the cleaning out of the dog poo every morning from the enclosures and learning how to care for and groom the dogs, and then training them in dog sports and sheep herding. They raise the money to cover the food, the upkeep and the vet bills by visiting schools and agricultural shows with their animal program and performing dog shows, which due to COVID have, of course, all been cancelled. The adults who work with them, like Dave Graham and Georgia Cherrie, are volunteers. They're connected with the Hawkesbury PCYC, the Hawkesbury Jets basketball club and Hawkesbury's Helping Hands—all playing a part in shaping a different future for these kids, who have had, without exception, a really tough start. They may have been in constant contact with police. It may be drug issues, family violence or school suspensions. RuffTRACK takes up to five people from each of the Hawkesbury high schools.

On my visit, the boys invited me to hear their morning discussion about how their weekend had gone. I was really privileged to be asked to sit in the circle. The teenagers were articulate, able to discuss their feelings and identify the things that were making them feel good or not so good. Jesse, Jonno and Bryson showed me round the farm, talking about how being one of the RuffTRACK boys had changed their lives. They had Penny the horse come running over towards us. They were gentle with the tiny kids and explained in awe to me how fast the ducklings were growing. I get that these won't be perfect kids. Who has perfect kids? They'll make mistakes. They'll make bad choices. But these are really impressive young men, and I can't help but think that Dave and the environment he has created and the bonds that they create will give them the best shot at a better life.

I asked them if they were happy for me to speak about RuffTRACK in parliament, and you bet they were. So I'm going to finish with a sample of their words of wisdom. Fifteen-year-old Blain says: 'RuffTRACK has helped me out with a lot of life situations like how to get out of toxic relationships.' Jon says he's learnt to open up about stuff that he wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Rory and Bryson add: 'Dave and the support adults have been there for me.' For Whyatt, Ashton, Kie and Ajay, it's the brotherhood bonds with the lads and the connections with people. And the last word goes to 14-year-old Joseph: 'My favourite thing about RuffTRACK is everyone here and my dog.'