About ShoreTrack and Sefa
ShoreTrack works with young people in Macksville on the NSW Mid North Coast, helping them reconnect with learning, work and community through practical, hands-on training.
Since 2021, they’ve supported hundreds of young people through education, mentoring and their social enterprise, STeps, which provides real job experience and pathways into employment.
Sefa’s capability building support through the EmpowerHER 2023 program helped ShoreTrack strengthen its systems, plan for growth and secure new premises as an investment for its future which required a $200,000 SELF Loan through White Box Enterprises.
In Macksville, ShoreTrack has become a steady presence for young people who’ve struggled to fit into mainstream education.
Co-founders Jill Ashley and her partner Paul (Fatty) Ireland saw first-hand what was missing. “These kids like hands-on learning,” says Jill. “They need wrap-around support – transport, food, people who care.”
They borrowed a shed, bought a couple of buses and teamed up with local trades to run short training programs. Those early projects evolved into a social enterprise and a thriving community hub that now supports around 160 young people each year.
Building capability with purpose
ShoreTrack joined Sefa’s EmpowerHER program in 2023 to build the financial and operational capability it needed to grow sustainably.
“Manfred from Sefa said, ‘If you’re going to access finance, you need to get your systems in order.’ Then the EmpowerHER program came up and we applied. It changed everything.”
Through the program, ShoreTrack built stronger financial systems, introduced clear reporting and sharpened its business planning. The process gave them more confidence to make decisions and a clearer way to communicate their impact.
“It gave us structure,” says Jill. “We understood our business better and could see where we needed to grow.”
The results came quickly. In one year, the ShoreTrack STeps social enterprise income grew from $28,000 to $132,000. And the organisation could now show funders exactly how their support created results.
Ready when opportunity came
That groundwork paid off when ShoreTrack applied for a SELF Loan through White Box Enterprises.
“It was a really detailed process,” Jill says. “But because of the work we’d done with Sefa, we had everything in order. One of their board members said we were the most prepared organisation they’d seen.”
The loan helped ShoreTrack purchase a permanent industrial site in Macksville, securing a long-term base for training and enterprise work. It also gave the team the confidence to take the next step – planning a registered school to open in the coming year.
“Because of the groundwork we’d done with Sefa, we could answer every question and back it up with evidence. It looked like we knew what we were talking about – and we did.”
Doing more good with confidence
Stronger systems and a clearer plan have helped ShoreTrack deepen its impact. More young people are showing up, finishing their training and stepping into work.
Jill remembers one boy who was on the edge of being expelled. “He was a tough kid,” she says. “But he kept turning up.” His attendance went from almost nothing to 99 per cent. He became the kid that quietly checked on others each morning. Eventually he became ShoreTrack’s first in-house trainee. “Now he’s working with us full-time as a youth leader,” says Jill. “His school told us we probably saved his life.”
Sefa’s capability support also helped ShoreTrack strengthen relationships with funders and government partners, leading to more stable funding and new opportunities
“It showed people we’d done the work,” says Jill. “That we were serious about what we were doing.”
Her advice to other community organisations is simple.
“You’ve got to be really clear and do your homework,” Jill says. “Think about the cost all the time and energy that goes into applying for grants. It can be really disheartening. If you’ve got an idea that’s going to build sustainability, then a loan like this can really help.”
Now, with stronger foundations and a clear path ahead, ShoreTrack is preparing to open its school and expand its training and social enterprise programs.
“Working with Sefa helped us build the skills and confidence to grow,” Jill says. “It made us stronger without changing who we are.”
