Our Impact 2024
Foreword
I am pleased to present the Good Cycles 2024 Impact Snapshot. While I have led impact and reporting at Good Cycles for the past 3 years, it is a privilege to present it as CEO.
I will start by acknowledging that 2024 was a challenging year and I would like to express my appreciation for our dedicated staff. Their commitment, teamwork and positive attitude supported our resilience and commitment to our purpose in creating jobs for young people experiencing barriers to employment.
Like many businesses, we have felt the effects of the post-covid economy and the current cost of living crisis. Our commercial growth fell short of expectations, leading to fewer job opportunities and a decline in our Youth Employment Program participant numbers.
This downturn comes at a time when young people are facing even greater challenges. Rising living costs and the housing crisis are contributing to increased mental health pressures. The number of participants in our Youth Employment Program who are reporting experience of insecure housing and mental health challenges is increasing. We have also seen a decrease in the number young people reporting improvement in their resilience, wellbeing and confidence during their time at Good Cycles.
It is during these challenging times that job-focused social enterprises are needed the most, and we can proudly say that in 2024 we were able to provide 34,578 hours of paid work to young people. As you read through this report, you will see that young people have provided us with some valuable insights about the importance of creating ‘green’, inclusive and sustainable jobs and employment pathways, and that we continue to strive to create the best workplace we can; creating innovative, environmentally-focused solutions with like-minded partners.
I am excited to embrace the opportunity we have in 2025 to address our challenges, and to evolve and strengthen our Youth Employment Program as we mature and grow as a job-focused social enterprise.
Kirra Johnson (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer
"I would say that the company is very patient with its staff. This is a place where you can feel comfortable learning on the job, where you are expected to make mistakes and gradually improve in your role. Having the Impact team to assist you in any issues you may have and all the resources they provide makes everybody here feel comfortable on the job."
Youth Employment Program
At Good Cycles, we know that real jobs and real experience make all the difference. That’s why our Youth Employment Program (YEP) takes a hands-on, work-first approach, helping young people build skills and confidence while earning an adult wage.
We focus on what each individual brings to the table — their strengths, goals and personal choices — supported by tailored coaching and an inclusive workplace. Along the way, young people pick up both technical and transferable skills, making it easier to take their next steps in their employment journey.
YEP participants in 2024
Identified barriers to employment
Diversity of YEP participants
YEP participants come from a range of marginalised groups. Overall 55% of YEP participants identified as being a part of one or more of these communities.
Getting and keeping a job changes everything. When young people stay employed for 6 months, especially when facing challenges, it’s a huge win. It builds their confidence, creates stability, and helps them connect with others – setting them up to tackle future obstacles and reach their full potential for steady, long term employment.
YEP employee outcomes
of YEP participants maintained employment with Good Cycles for more than 6 months.
is the average employment of each YEP participant
Employee outcomes
Research findings
Last year, in partnership with the Melbourne Social Equity Institute, we launched our research Understanding Good Cycles’ Youth Employment Program Participants’ Experiences and Perspectives on Employment.
Led by our Impact Evaluation Lead, Hannah Figueroa, this study aimed to fill a gap in qualitative data by hearing directly from young people who’ve faced barriers to employment. We wanted to understand their challenges, what influences their career decisions, and what really matters to them in a job.
The findings were clear: young people who have been marginalised are more likely to find and stay in work when employers offer quality jobs in inclusive, welcoming environments.
While fair pay and financial security are key, they also value the deeper benefits of employment such as building relationships, developing skills, and working alongside people from different backgrounds.
For those employed at Good Cycles, work is about more than just earning a wage. It’s about community, connection, and the pride that comes from making a positive impact in their local area.
Our research covers three key areas:
Drivers behind youth unemployment: Understanding underemployment and weak participation in the labour market experienced by marginalised young people.
Engaging youth: The needs and reasons for engaging in work among young people working at Good Cycles.
The future of work: Creating ‘green’ inclusive and sustainable jobs for Young People.
To create employment pathways for young people, we need to listen and learn from young people themselves. Thank you to the YEP participants who shared their stories and perspectives with us in the research. To our Youth Employment Coaches for the important support they give our YEP participants, both during this research and throughout the entire year, a big thank you!
We also thank Professor Jo Barraket, Hannah’s academic mentor, and the Melbourne Social Equity Institute for the opportunity that allowed this research to take place. The Community Fellows Program enables community organisations like Good Cycles the ability to undertake research of this focus and significance.
"If we make good workplaces for Young People who’ve experienced barriers to employment, we are making good workplaces for everyone."
"Whilst Stockland has a number of programs and graduate young people programs, we also recognise that we are not the experts in youth employment. That’s why it’s important that we look to engage organisations like Good Cycles to ensure that we have a broad range of opportunities across the organisation."
Ministerial visit to Good Cycles
Former Federal Minister of Employment Tony Burke and MP for Wills Peter Khalil met with Good Cycles in June to learn firsthand how we’re creating opportunities for young people, strengthening communities and supporting the environment.
They sat down with Oliver, Luz, Lucas, and Luca — four participants in our Youth Employment Program — who shared their experiences, the impact of the program on their lives, and their hopes for the future. The visit followed the budget release, which detailed $21.9 million to fund Work Integrated Social Enterprises (WISE) such as Good Cycles.
With young people continually facing an unemployment rate twice that of the general population*, breaking down barriers to safe, meaningful employment has never been more important. That’s exactly what we do — helping young people gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to build a better future.
We again thank Minister Burke and Mr Khalil for taking the time to listen and learn about the role of social enterprises in tackling employment challenges — empowering young people and, in turn, strengthening their communities and the wider economy.
*(ABS Labour Force Survey, 2021a, 2024)
I once always did [a job] just for the money. Cause, like, money’s good. But it’s not just about the money at the end of the day. When I first started, it was about going out onsite, doing something, [being active]. But I enjoy working in a team, and taking on responsibilities that were not initially there.
Impact and innovation
At Good Cycles, innovation, collaboration, and strong partnerships drive everything we do. Across our four commercial divisions, we deliver services that create opportunities for young people while driving social and environmental impact. These divisions are supported by our Central Services team and an experienced and passionate Board.
A huge thank you to Lucinda Makrakis and Darrell Wade, who stepped down from the Good Cycles Board in 2024. Both served as Directors for over five years, each assuming the role of Chair at different times and bringing a deep commitment to empowering young people. We’re incredibly grateful for their contributions.
Stepping into the role of Chair is Malcolm Garrow, a Board member since 2023. With his experience and passion for social impact, Malcolm is well-placed to help guide Good Cycles through its next phase of growth.
We know that breaking down employment barriers takes a collective effort. That’s why we partner with businesses that recognise the need for change — companies that are rethinking work practices to create a more inclusive, supportive future for young people.
Our Good Deliveries use a fleet of e-cargo bikes to replace tasks that traditionally used utes or trucks, such as deliveries, commercial asset maintenance, gardening and organic waste management.
Citywide is pleased to work alongside Good Cycles again on the FOGO Liner Delivery Program for the City of Melbourne. This program encourages residents of the Melbourne municipality to recycle food and garden waste properly, while providing employment and skill development for young people. A win for the environment, the Melbourne community and young job seekers.
Organic waste collection
Our Organic Waste Collection partnership with City of Melbourne keeps on growing! What started as a trial in May 2022, we now collect food waste on cargo bikes all year round from 40 participating restaurants and cafes!
Since it started, the program has diverted over 400 tonnes of food waste away from landfill where it creates methane as it decomposes, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than CO2.
FOGO bin liners
We worked with Citywide for the third successive year to deliver bin liners to City of Melbourne residents for their food and garden organics (FOGO) waste.
Solar bins
An average of 700 alerts are received every month that require physical action from our crew.
I feel that it will not be very common that women [will] see the job advertisement to do grouting on the street and [for] them to be like, “Oh hell yeah!” No one really does but I feel like it’s less likely for a woman to go for it…. This is something that I’ve definitely learned through [working at Good Cycles]: that is to take my space.
Our Good Spaces division continued to grow in its third year, expanding our impact across gardening, landscaping, litter removal, asset maintenance, large scale mowing, fire breaks and weed control for valued clients like DM Roads, Fulton Hogan, Fire Rescue Victoria, Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Housing First, Frasers, Stockland and Riverlee. Last year, Good Spaces saw an increase of 715 Youth Employment Program hours (a 9.9% rise from 2023), opening more opportunities for Young People to gain hands-on experience in green jobs of the future.
Gardening & landscaping
One of our gardening crews is now able to work with only battery powered lawn mowers, brushcutters, leaf blowers, chainsaws and hedgers, and the environmental impact might be surprising! Battery powered tools also have other environmental benefits, such as reduced air and noise pollution, less fuel consumption and lower maintenance requirements, meaning less waste created.
Graffiti removal
We launched our graffiti removal and prevention services in 2024. With Victorian businesses spending over $200 million annually for this service, there is a significant opportunity for this new offer to grow into a considerable commercial contributor for Good Cycles, and therefore our Youth Employment Program.
We use one of the few independently tested graffiti removal products in Australia that meets all Australian government non-dangerous goods criteria, helping us align with our environmental goals while delivering high-quality results.
I like the routine. Coming to work every day. Obviously, building my savings. And just learning new things. It’s more learning new things and learning skills that I need from employment. But also the end goal is a house and stuff like that: I’m saving up for a car.
Through our Good People division, we provide managed workforce partnerships to organisations that align with our own mission. We provide tailored staffing solutions that combine general workforce support with opportunities for Young People in YEP, ensuring they receive the guidance and experience they need to succeed.
By partnering with like-minded businesses, we help create more inclusive workplaces while supporting organisations with their staffing needs. This not only strengthens workplace culture but also opens doors for people from marginalised backgrounds.
Since 2020, we’ve partnered with Lime to support their e-bike and scooter share operations. Last year, we expanded this partnership into SE Queensland, now supplying operations specialists and mechanics across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.
Good Cycles is so driven to the commitment of breaking down employment barriers and they’ve done a fantastic job of sourcing talent and making Lime an option for people. I think, as a result, we are far deeper than just people who work together. There’s a real sense of family that has been created in our teams because it’s real purposeful work.
I’ve found that the work is fun and collaborative, which put me at ease on my first day. There’s a focus on keeping the workplace friendly while you learn on the job. When Good Cycles’ Impact Team contacted me for the first time, they made a good impression. They cared about my goals, and that motivated me to try my best on the job.
Our Good Bikes team does so much more than professionally service your bikes! As well as managing our four retail stores, they also offer community workshops, run on-site servicing and led our latest project in establishing three new shared e-bike hub leasing services in Melbourne.
Our four locations operating in 2024 – Melbourne CBD, Geelong, Brunswick and Docklands – were busy!
Shared eBike Hubs
We were very proud to win the Bike Culture Award at the 2024 Cycling Luminaries Awards, recognising our groundbreaking Equitable Commute Project. This shared e-bike hub initiative transformed commuting in Building Communities developments in Flemington, Prahran and Brighton offering social and affordable housing. Beyond providing eBikes, we offer education programs to help residents develop cycling skills and road safety confidence, creating an active community of riders who may not be culturally familiar with cycling.
Climate crisis is happening. I think providing jobs for young people in this type of industry is actually really good because personally it makes me feel good and I can go home and say ‘Oh, I made a difference today’. Even if it was small, I did something.
Purpose Precinct
2024 saw the first full year of the Purpose Precinct, Australia’s first dedicated social enterprise precinct located in the heart of Melbourne at the iconic Queen Victoria Market.
Selling homewares, clothing, food and gifts exclusively from over 50 social enterprise businesses, Purpose Precinct raises awareness of the social, environmental and economic impact of social enterprises in our community and is a collaborative initiative of founding partners Good Cycles and STREAT.
Last year Purpose Precinct also launched their Impact Calculator, a tool that could translate the sales from Purpose Precinct into impact results for customers, such as job creation, carbon emission prevention and other specific impact areas.
In 2024, Purpose Precinct created 3,176 hours of work for young people experiencing barriers to employment.
Awards & recognition
Winner: Civil Contractors Federation Victoria People & Training Awards
Innovation Excellence Award
Winner: Cycling Luminaries Awards
Bike Culture Award
Finalist: Third Sector Awards
Collaboration Excellence
‘Good Cycles & City of Melbourne’s organic waste collection’
Finalist: Third Sector Awards
Sustainability Leadership
‘Using the bike for social and environmental change’
Honourable mention: Social Traders National Game Changer Awards
Social Procurement Impact Partnership
Accreditation: People & Planet First
Accreditation: Social Traders certification renewal
Partners & Stakeholders
Thank you to all our partners who help make this happen.
Do you want to partner with us?
We’re always looking to hear from new supporters & organisations interested in supporting social procurement and social enteprise.
Support Good Cycles
Good Cycles is a registered charity with the ACNC.
You can view our financial and annual reporting on the ACNC website.
