Sir David Martin Foundation

Our vision is to create an environment where young people can grow up in safety, with hope and opportunity.

Our mission is to provide all the resources necessary to enable young people to achieve their full potential, thereby influencing our community to do all they can to eliminate issues facing young people in crisis.

Each night across Australia thousands of teenagers and young adults bed down in youth refuges, inner city squats and various public places in our big cities.

For many of these kids, homelessness begins the descent into alcohol and drug abuse, violence, involvement in serious crime and other behaviours damaging to their physical and mental health.

Our goal at the Sir David Martin Foundation is to get more young people off the streets, away from unhealthy situations and into care and rehabilitation. We aim to encourage in them a new sense of self belief so that they can face the community at large without the need for drugs, crime and homelessness.

Triple Care Farm is the Foundation’s major funding project situated on 100 acres of land at Knights Hill, near Robertson. The Farm provides an ideal environment of peace and healing for emotionally hurt and troubled young people aged 16 to 24. Over a 12 week period, the Farm takes the first step in re-building broken lives, gently helping them to untangle their problems and equipping them with the skills to make a positive change in their lives.

During their stay on the Farm, the young people become part of an extended family and participate in courses such as panel beating and spray painting, woodwork, landscaping, farming techniques, art, music, literacy, numeracy and computer skills.

Students receive personal counselling from psychologists employed at the Farm along with family mediation if required. Group work sessions and educational programs on drug and alcohol related issues are also offered.

At Triple Care Farm, the students experience contact with adults who are caring and consistent, which creates an atmosphere of safety and security.

Today, every student entering Triple Care Farm has some kind of drug problem. Over 75% suffer from a mental illness and a staggering number – one in three – has previously attempted suicide.

With majority of all graduates moving into jobs, apprenticeships or furthering their education, Triple Care Farm is believed to be one of the most successful programs of its kind in Australia in reaching out to emotionally hurt and troubled young people. At the end of their stay on the Farm, the students graduate from the program. The young people are then placed in a supportive environment of either group homes, back to their family or independent living. Support networks are established and follow-up continues for three to six months after the students leave the Farm.

The Foundation also funds two other Youth programs “Creative Youth Initiatives in Surrey Hills and South West Youth Services in Campbell Town.