Meet Toys Change Lives
‘Toys Change Lives’ is a toy workshop with a difference. TCL is a workshop staffed by Indigenous youth who have been released from Juvenile Justice Detention Centers, or who have had a brush with the Justice System and are believed to be ‘At Risk’. Re-offending is a massive problem in our community. With around 75% of youth released from regional juvenile justice centers re-offending at least once in their future. The current solutions don’t seem to be working. That’s where TCL comes in; providing practical, proven, grass-roots solutions to give Indigenous youth a fresh track to take.
TCL is an employment pathway run by the Keeping Our Freedom Youth Indigenous Corporation, a Not-For-Profit that was founded by Peter Boughey of Casino in 2014. ‘Pastor’ Pete has been a Chaplain at Grafton’s Juvenile Detention Centre (ACMENA) for over 14 years, and in that time saw the same youth come back through the Centre time-and-again. In 2014 Pete took it upon himself to offer these youths a project when they got out of ACMENA – building wooden toys in his garage.
From this humble beginning, wherein the youths took these basic toys and decorated them with beautiful Indigenous decorations, TCL has evolved into a proper little workshop and gallery located in 112 Walker Street, Casino. Our little shop now boasts beautiful handmade boomerangs, didgeridoos, Indigenous artworks, wooden jewellery, educational maps and of course our signature item…TOYS!
