An industrial warehouse with graffiti murals, a ping pong table and plenty of outdoor gear isn't your typical office space.
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But for Boys to the Bush, a not-for-profit helping at-risk boys engage positively in their communities, the former signwriting site on Talbragar Street is the perfect spot to call home.
Visiting the Dubbo site, the newest of nine locations, Boys to the Bush CEO and co-founder Adam DeMamiel said he was pleased with the support from the local community.
"Communities whine about the kids that are out there causing grief and we hear all those negative stories often in the media... the way we see it is you can whine about it or you can be a part of the solution," he said.
"We see ourselves as being that conduit or that vehicle to allow people in the community to be a part of the solution.
"The kids we work with have troubles and may be perceived as bad, but they're not bad kids when they're given the opportunities to succeed, which we do for them."
On Wednesday, November 29, Boys to the Bush rolled open the doors of their Dubbo shed to show the community what the organisation is all about.
"Our core programs are very much for vulnerable, disadvantaged, disengaged type kids, but we have programs to support all boys across the communities," Mr DeMamiel said.
"We engage with kids that are often hard to engage with and then connect them to the community and we see ourselves as a bit of a conduit for the community... introducing kids to all the good people that are here in Dubbo and the services that are here that these kids need."
Before opening the shed, Boys to the Bush staff were travelling up from Forbes to deliver one-on-one mentoring, school programs and holiday camps for disengaged boys in Dubbo.
Dubbo location manager Chad Parkes said Boys to the Bush has already seen some "great results" in the local area.
"Our attendance levels have picked up and just the amount of engagement and inquiries around the region is phenomenal," he said.
"Originally when we started, we had around six or seven kids up for mentoring and we're looking now at term one having around 30 kids."
Mr Parkes said students have already been working alongside mentors at organisations like OzFish and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
"We certainly cannot do it on our own. We're good at engaging with the kids and building a rapport but we need the community to buy in and step up and tell us what they can do to support the kids," he said.
"So it's been amazing this morning to meet with members of the public and learn about their businesses and start to hear what they want to do to open their doors up so we can bring kids in and introduce them to more good people from Dubbo."
Soon Boys to the Bush will be expanding their footprint to Wellington and have brought on much-loved local Paul West, known as 'Westie', to lead the team there.
Mr DeMamiel encourages businesses and community members who may be able to help out to get in touch and find out what they can do.
"We do urge them to do and become part of the journey," he said.
"We've seen it in our more established locations that not only are we supporting the kids and changing their lives, but we're actually changing the communities and its members' lives as well."
