The Standards
“Stop managing decline.”
Matthew FrenchThe Standards · Opening Standard · p. 2
National Veteran-Led, Expert-Driven Youth Development and Parental Support · Central Coast, New South Wales
Stop managing decline.
Start building futures.
Nine days for young people aged 12–17 to practise responsibility, build connections and discover what they can contribute. Veteran-led mentoring, a parent seminar and support that continues after march-out.
Libby Stewart · Onboarding Director
6–14 January 2027Next residential intake · Kincumber, NSW
Ages 12–17Suitability discussed with every family
$5,000 program feeResidential experience, parent seminar and follow-up
Announcements · 29 October 2026
Senator Lambie joins us this January.
A confirmed visit to our January program. A new chapter for The Forum. Read the Senator’s letter and a message from our founder.
The Fortified Futures experience
Give them a challenge.
Stand beside them.
At Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber, we give young people room to step away from familiar routines, take on a challenge and learn something about themselves.
01 / PRACTICAL SKILLS
Practise what matters.
A shared task makes responsibility visible. Listen to the plan. Do your part. Ask for help. Give the next person a reason to count on you.
02 / BELONGING
Find your part. Own it.
Every young person has something to contribute. Our work is to help them recognise it, practise it and take responsibility for their next move.
03 / FAMILY SUPPORT
Bring the standard home.
What happens at home matters. We involve parents and keep working with families after march-out so they can put their learning into practice.
The people around the young person
The standard starts with us.
When a young person is struggling, every adult around them has a part to play. That includes me, our mentors and the people waiting at home. We ask young people to speak honestly and keep their promises. They deserve to see us practise those same standards.
01
Before the program
Bring the real story. Tell us what is working, what is difficult and what support your young person needs.
02
During the experience
Join the parent workshop. Look at the standards you model and the actions your family can practise together.
03
Explore parent support →After march-out
Keep practising at home. Use the follow-up support to talk honestly about progress, setbacks and your next step.
Photos & Footage
See the work.
Meet the people.
Explore real program photos in full size and watch footage from our work with young people, parents and communities.
Open the gallery →For parents & carers
The questions
parents ask.
A clear place to start before making a decision for your family.
Is it suitable for my child?
What is included?
How do we stay connected?
Explore parent FAQs →
Operation Australia · Matthew French
The people doing the work
deserve a voice.
Frontline experience. Honest conversations. Practical solutions. Explore my work as a founding contributor to Operation Australia.
Watch the film & read my articlesThe Standards · Family voices
Words matter. What we do next matters too.
Parent feedback reflects one family’s personal experience; individual experiences and outcomes vary.
See how we involve families →Explore the work
Ask the questions.
Know the work.
Evidence and expertise
Look at what we measured, who responded and what the results can actually tell us.
Explore our evidence →Schools and educators
See the work we do alongside schools to build relationships, responsibility and connection.
Explore school partnerships →Community and purpose
Alongside Safe Link Alliance, young people put contribution into practice by helping serve others.
See community service →From the founder · The Youth Regiment
Announcements.
The people standing beside us. The work taking shape. The next step for our young people, families and community.
· A message from Matthew French
Senator Lambie is joining us on program.
Some moments remind you why you keep going. This is one of them.
I am proud and honoured to share that our patron, Senator Jacqui Lambie, has confirmed she will join The Youth Regiment for our January 2027 Fortified Futures program.
Our next program runs from 6–14 January 2027 at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber. Having Senator Lambie willing to spend time with our participants and mentors carries real weight. It gives her an opportunity to see the work up close: the standards, the conversations and the adults who keep showing up.
For me, that is what support looks like. Making time. Listening. Standing beside the people doing the work, and the families who have put their trust in us.
The Forum. A new chapter.
On 13 January 2027, we will launch The Forum at Oaks Waterfront, The Entrance, alongside our parent workshop. Our new community, veteran and business hub will bring people together around a shared responsibility: the future of our young people and the families beside them.
Senator Lambie has also expressed her hope to attend the launch. We would be honoured to have her with us for that next step.
A national blueprint for national change.
That is what we are building. A place where veterans can continue serving, businesses can contribute their skills, and families can find people prepared to listen and act. We want to show what is possible here on the Central Coast, and build an approach other communities can make their own.
The Forum gives that work a home. The responsibility belongs to all of us.
Thank you, Senator Lambie, for standing with our young people, our families and the veterans who continue to serve. We are proud of what this means for our community, and honoured to share the next chapter with you.
Matthew French
Founder & CEO · The Youth Regiment
Our patron · A voice for young Australians
Senator Jacqui Lambie
Patron of The Youth Regiment
“it’s about turning these kids’ lives around.”
Senator Lambie has stood alongside young people and families in this work. In the Australian Senate, she recognised Matthew French and The Youth Regiment and spoke about why that work matters.
Senate speech: 9 September 2026 · Video shared in The Founder’s Brief on 21 September.
Watch the full video ↗Read the transcript ↗Our residential program
Fortified Futures.
Nine days to practise responsibility, work through shared challenges and learn from veterans. Then the work continues with the people at home.
Discuss an upcoming intake ↗Step into the work.
One day at a time.
Ages 12–17Individual suitability assessment
6–14 January2027 · Kincumber, NSW
$5,000Program fee
At Great Aussie Bush Camp, young people share tasks, work as a team and take time to reflect. Each day gives them something real to practise: listening, following through and taking responsibility for their part.
$5,000. Nine days, with support beyond march-out.
A young person needs adults who pay attention and follow through. This package brings together our residential program, experienced mentors, the parent workshop and support at home. We make room to know the person, understand their needs and work on the next useful step.
What’s included in the $5,000 package?
- Nine-day residential youth development program at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber.
- Participant accommodation throughout the program.
- Five healthy meals each day to support active days and wellbeing.
- Uniforms provided for participants.
- All program activities included, with no additional activity charges.
- Return Sydney Airport transfers for participants, to and from the program.
- Expert-led youth mentoring with time to know the young person, listen and work on the next step together.
- Mentor-facilitated phone calls home during the program.
- Eight-hour parenting workshop on 13 January 2027 at The Forum, our facility at the Oaks Waterfront Hotel, The Entrance.
- Five weeks of post-program support and training packages so your family can keep practising what you have learned.
- Access to discounted accommodation at the Oaks Hotel when booking by phone and mentioning The Youth Regiment. Hotel accommodation is booked and paid for separately.
- Free parking at the Oaks for families attending the parenting workshop.
Continue the support.
If your family needs further one-on-one mentoring, speak with us about working with Matthew French or Max Garcia. We will agree on availability, arrangements and any additional fees with you first.
Talk with Libby about your family →An honest conversation comes first. Tell us about your young person’s age, support needs and access requirements so we can discuss whether this experience is a suitable fit.
Plan your January
The dates. The places. The support.
6–14 January 2027
Nine residential days at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber, for ages 12–17. Accommodation, five meals a day, uniforms and program activities are included.
13 January · Parents
An eight-hour parent workshop at The Forum, Oaks Waterfront, The Entrance. Discounted hotel accommodation is booked and paid for separately; workshop parking is included.
Five weeks afterwards
Post-program support and training packages are included. Further one-to-one mentoring is arranged separately, with availability and any fees agreed first.
Before booking travel: get the current joining instructions and written arrival, Sydney Airport transfer and march-out collection arrangements from Libby. Confirm the flight requirements before buying tickets. Joining instructions →
Inside the experience
Real people. Moments that matter.
Showing up
Begin with one promise you can keep. Then practise keeping it.
Making space
Pause long enough to recognise what you do well and where you need help.
Moving forward
Recognise the effort. Take what you have learned into your next day at home.
A connected experience
Before. During. Beyond.
Prepare together
Tell us what your family needs. Ask your questions, complete the required information and prepare together.
Take part
Listen, contribute and follow through. Shared challenges give you opportunities to practise all three.
Keep building
Bring the learning home. Keep working on your routines and use the follow-up support to discuss what helps and what needs to change.
Your next steps
Understand the commitment.
01 / TALK
Start with your family.
Tell us about your young person and what a better week would look like for your family. We discuss suitability before any booking.
02 / UNDERSTAND
Review the details.
Read the written inclusions, enrolment requirements, payment and cancellation terms. Ask until you understand. Share medical and support information privately with our team.
03 / PREPARE
Get ready together.
Once your place is confirmed, work through the joining instructions together: travel, packing, medication arrangements and the part your family will play.
Planning your next step
Ask until you understand.
Our next intake is 6–14 January 2027 at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber. The $5,000 fee includes the parent seminar and post-program support. Speak with us to confirm availability and get your booking details in writing.
Request program informationWhen is the next program?
6–14 January 2027 at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber, NSW. The parent workshop is on 13 January 2027 at The Forum, The Entrance. Contact the team for march-out arrangements. Talk with us about availability. Sending an enquiry does not reserve a place.
What is included?
The $5,000 fee includes the nine-day residential experience, parent seminar and post-program support. Ask for the full written inclusions, travel requirements and any additional costs before you enrol.
Is the program suitable for my child?
Fortified Futures is for young people aged 12–17. We discuss each family’s circumstances individually. Tell us about support and access needs, and ask about supervision, medical and medication arrangements. You deserve to understand how your young person would be supported before deciding.
What about fees or funding?
The fee is $5,000. Speak with us about payment arrangements and any sponsored places currently available. Funding depends on circumstances and availability. Read your written payment and cancellation terms before paying.
Parents and carers
The next chapter
starts at home.
March-out is a proud moment. The next morning matters too: the routine, the conversation and the promise you choose to keep together.
The standard includes you.
You know parts of your young person’s life that we have yet to understand. Tell us about their strengths, the pressures at home and what helps. Your voice belongs in this work, and so does theirs.
The parent workshop is a place to look honestly at what we model and what our families need. Your package includes five weeks of post-program support and training packages. Our next eight-hour parent workshop is on 13 January 2027 at The Forum, The Entrance. Parent hotel accommodation is separate; free workshop parking is included. Confirm your attendance and follow-up arrangements with the team.
Ask about parent supportBuilding on what is working
Begin with one promise you can keep.
Steady routines
Choose one routine you can repeat. Make the first step clear and notice the effort it takes to follow through.
Time together
Give your young person some time that belongs to them. Share an activity they enjoy and listen to what they have to say.
A wider circle
Think about who your young person trusts. Where appropriate, bring family, teachers or coaches into the conversation.
Bring the real story. Then choose the next step.
Keep a short weekly note: what improved, what was difficult and what helped. Bring those examples into the conversation. A score can help us ask a question; listening to the family helps us understand the answer.
Program support is not an emergency service. In an immediate emergency, call 000. Discuss ongoing health and wellbeing concerns with an appropriate health professional.
Schools · Mentoring · Early intervention
Know the student.
Build the connection.
A student needs adults who can reach them, listen and hold a fair standard. We bring veteran-led mentoring and practical challenges alongside the work schools are already doing.
2026 Clubs & Community Awards · Education
Highly Commended — Campsie RSL
Recognition for the Mental Fitness 4 Life pilot at Granville Boys High School. Matthew French and The Youth Regiment made a strong contribution as delivery partners alongside Paul Langmack, Dr Brad Morris, Joe Tau and Phil Gould, with funding from Campsie RSL Group.
Granville Boys High School: reported results
8 → 0Suspensions
65% ↑Attendance
70% ↓Negative incidents
20% ↓Anxiety and depression symptoms
Campsie RSL invested $38,500 in 2025 and $34,500 for Term 1, 2026. The award entry also describes stronger student confidence and connection, calmer classrooms and better engagement.
Sources: Clubs & Community program entry · 2026 award recognition. Figures are reported for the shared pilot, not school-wide results or outcomes attributable to TYR alone. The entry does not specify the sample size or comparison periods.
Build the support around the student
Start with the student’s real story.
Tell us what is happening for your students, what you have tried and who is already involved. We can then discuss where mentoring and practical education could contribute to your school’s work.
Discuss a school partnership ↗Evidence and expertise
Trust deserves
honest evidence.
If we ask families to trust our work, we owe them clear reporting. Here you can examine our program findings, the school partnership results and expert perspectives.
Measuring what matters
Show the progress.
Own the limitations.
We are encouraged by the early FF03 findings. We also have a responsibility to show who responded, where they started and what these results cannot establish.
Read the early findings ↗20.25 → 15.25
Average reported Total Difficulties
SDQ score out of 40, among four matched respondents. A five-point fall shortly after FF03, based on self-report.
Small sample. No comparison group. These findings do not establish causation or lasting program effectiveness.
Program reporting
Read what we found.
Read the findings and their limitations for yourself. Then explore the expert perspective below.
Our evidence · Expertise and perspective
Dr Xanthé Mallett
Leading criminologist. Forensic anthropologist.
Author and television expert.
Internationally recognised for her work in forensic science and criminology, Dr Mallett brings research expertise and a public voice to questions of crime, evidence and justice.
An Honorary Associate Professor in the University of Newcastle’s School of Law and Justice, she works across human identification, forensic evidence and miscarriages of justice, and collaborates with police and innocence initiatives.
She holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield and an MPhil from the University of Cambridge. Her television work includes the BBC’s History Cold Case and Channel Ten’s Wanted; she is also the author of Mothers Who Murder.
Next: Measure carefully. Report honestly. →Biography: University of Newcastle profile · Research and television work
Our evidence · Early findings
Measure carefully.
Report honestly.
We looked at a small group’s responses before and shortly after Fortified Futures 03. There are encouraging findings here, and clear limits on the conclusions we can draw.
Start with who responded.
Start with the people behind the figures. Four young people had complete matched before-and-after results. A fifth had matched Resources results only. We cannot present their results as the outcome for every participant.
FF03 ran from 26 September to 4 October 2026. The reviewed post-program responses were collected from 6–10 October, two to six days after the program ended.
Evidence at a glance
Self-report. Small sample.
Short follow-up.
There was no comparison group. These results do not establish lasting change or show that the program caused the changes reported.
| Matched measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Routine and planning / 10 | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| Self-belief / 10 | 4.6 | 6.2 |
| Social competence / 10 | 4.8 | 6.6 |
| SDQ Total Difficulties / 40 | 20.25 | 15.25 |
Means for the same four respondents. Competence scores rounded to one decimal place. Lower Total Difficulties scores indicate fewer reported difficulties.
What is encouraging?
All five competence measures rose on average. Three of four respondents improved on Total Difficulties. Education and Money Factor scores rose for four of five matched Resources respondents.
What needs care?
Improvement was not universal. Average Peer and Community resource scores fell. Self-reported education resources are not verified grades, attendance or suspension outcomes.
These early self-reported findings come from a small responding group. The supplied reporting does not specify the exact SDQ questionnaire version or recall period. The SDQ is a screening measure, not a diagnosis. A three-month follow-up is planned; lasting change and program causation have not been established.
Analytical contribution
We commissioned Jacqui Van de Velde to provide analysis, reporting, presentations and parent engagement. Her external contribution helps us examine the work. It does not independently prove that the program caused these changes.
Source: FF03 Resilience Change Report and Building on What Is Working, prepared by Jacqui Van de Velde, 12 October 2026. Competence and SDQ results use four matched respondents; Resources results use five. Figures are group summaries, with no participant names or personal disclosures.
The people who stay involved
Know the people.
See the standard.
Young people deserve to know the adults asking for their trust. Meet the people, the experiences they bring and the standards they aim to model.
THE FOUNDER
Afghanistan combat veteran · Founder and CEO
Matthew French · Founder and CEO
The standard
includes me.
I’m Matthew French, an Afghanistan combat veteran and Founder and CEO of The Youth Regiment. Across more than a decade in youth development, including my earlier work at Veteran Mentors, I have mentored more than 4,000 families nationally.
10+ yearsExperience in youth development
4,000+Families mentored across my career
My experience on the battlefield and after service has shaped the way I lead. Difficult moments ask something of us. So do the ordinary ones: keeping a promise, owning a mistake and returning to a conversation when it would be easier to walk away.
Read the full biography
I built The Youth Regiment because young people deserve adults who see their potential and accept responsibility for helping them develop it. I want a young person to recognise what they can contribute, and a parent to feel they have someone willing to listen and work alongside them.
I bring veteran experience and more than a decade of work with families to that responsibility. Through Fortified Futures, our parent support and the development of The Forum, I am bringing young people, families, veterans, schools and community partners into the same work.
The standards I ask of a young person include me. My tone, my decisions, my willingness to apologise and my follow-through all teach something. Leadership means being prepared to look at your own example.
I want families to leave with something they can practise: one honest conversation, one useful routine, one promise they can keep. Then we keep building from there.
Accomplishments & recognition
- Founder and CEO of The Youth Regiment, building Fortified Futures and support for the families around each young person.
- More than a decade in youth development, with more than 4,000 families mentored nationally.
- Former co-founder and director of Veteran Mentors. That organisation received the 2024 Outstanding Employer of the Year and Medium Employer of the Year awards at the Prime Minister’s National Veteran Employment Awards.
- Delivery partner in the Granville Boys High School Mental Fitness 4 Life pilot, recognised through Campsie RSL’s Highly Commended result in the Education category of the 2026 Clubs & Community Awards. Read the shared pilot’s results →
- Secured the lease for The Forum at The Entrance, now being developed as a youth, cultural and veteran hub.
Media, speaking & published work
- 7NEWS Spotlight: featured in “Beating Screen Addiction”.
- Helping Hands: documentary feature and panel discussion on youth mentoring and family connection.
- Television appearances: A Current Affair, Sunrise, Today, SBS, ABC and Destination Happiness.
- Print features: The Australian Women’s Weekly.
- Public speaking: keynote addresses and conversations on youth development, resilience and early intervention.
- Published contributor: Operation Australia (OpOz), and author of The Founder’s Brief.
01 / OUR MENTORS
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major · Keynote Speaker
Director & Business Partner · Youth Mentor
Max Garcia
Max Garcia is a Director of The Youth Regiment and business partner to Founder and CEO Matthew French. He brings more than two decades of military service and international leadership experience to a shared responsibility: preparing young people for difficult moments and supporting the families beside them.
Adopted from an orphanage in Mexico by two U.S. Marines, Max has spoken openly about struggling with confidence, school and sport as a child. He understands something of the uncertainty a young person can carry when they are still learning where they belong.
Read the full biography
Max enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in August 1994 and served until December 2018. His career included deployments to Europe, Iraq and Afghanistan, service as a Drill Instructor, and responsibilities developing future officers. In 2014, he was selected for promotion to Sergeant Major, reaching one of the Marine Corps’ most senior enlisted leadership positions. His responsibilities included the leadership and welfare of more than 1,500 personnel.
Those responsibilities put leadership into practice every day: know your people, notice when someone is struggling and be there when the situation becomes difficult. Accountability includes the person doing the leading.
Beyond military service, Max has built a career as a motivational speaker, life coach and author. His speaking audiences have included parliamentarians, professional athletes, businesses and universities. Across these settings, he connects lessons from service with the everyday challenges of confidence, responsibility, relationships and finding purpose.
At The Youth Regiment, Max works alongside Matthew on the organisation’s direction and contributes directly as a mentor. He brings experience under operational pressure and an understanding of what it means to build belief in yourself.
Max’s motivation is personal. Having struggled with confidence as a child, he wants young people to see their strengths, take responsibility for their choices and practise what they can do with steady support.
For Max, service continues through the way you treat people and the promises you keep. Young people see the standard in what an adult does next.
02 / OUR MENTORS
Lived experience · Cultural connection · Family responsibility
Youth Mentor · Executive Assistant to the Founder and CEO
Wilarat French
Wilarat French knows what it takes to enter an unfamiliar world and keep going. Her experience of cultural transition, perseverance and family responsibility shapes what she brings to The Youth Regiment.
Raised in a small village in Thailand, Wilarat grew up facing poverty and bullying, with family, faith and hard work central to her upbringing. At 14, she left her village for Bangkok, determined to create greater opportunities for herself and her family.
Read the full biography
At 20, she moved to Australia without speaking English. She learned the language while working and pursuing further education, building experience across hospitality and care roles. By 25, she had fulfilled a significant personal promise: helping build a home for her family in Thailand.
Her working life has included aged care, building a beauty business and modelling. Each chapter has asked her to learn, adapt and keep showing up for the responsibilities she carries.
As a youth mentor and executive assistant to Founder and CEO Matthew French, Wilarat combines personal support with the practical work of coordination. Her Thai heritage and experience of life across two countries help her connect with different family stories.
Learning a language, finding work and building a life take repeated effort. Wilarat brings that understanding to young people who are finding their feet in unfamiliar circumstances.
Her contribution starts with recognising the person in front of her and staying committed to their next step. That is a standard we ask of every adult in this work.
03 / OUR MENTORS
Service · Shared purpose · New beginnings
Australian Army Veteran · 3 RAR Infantry
Aaron Gill
Aaron Gill served eight years in the infantry with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He brings a belief that the difficult parts of your past do not have to decide what you do next.
Aaron’s reason for supporting The Youth Regiment is personal: he wants young people to recognise possibilities beyond what they have already faced. He values honest conversations and adults willing to show their own vulnerability.
Read the full biography
After military service, Aaron took on a mature-age plumbing apprenticeship. Starting again meant learning a different trade and accepting the work of being new. That experience gives substance to a conversation about taking your next step.
For a young person unsure of their direction, his journey offers a useful starting point: you can begin learning before you have every answer.
Supporting The Youth Regiment also connects Aaron with former soldiers and mates around a shared purpose. He wants to keep learning, make the most of life and help others see what they could contribute.
Our mission
Act earlier.
Take responsibility.
I built The Youth Regiment around a shared responsibility: give young people adults they can learn from, opportunities to contribute and support that includes the family.
Early intervention through education
A young person is more than their hardest moment.
A difficult day tells us something needs attention. It leaves the rest of the young person’s story still to be understood. At Fortified Futures, we give them opportunities to practise teamwork, take responsibility and recognise what they can contribute.
Education, collaboration and partnership give that work a foundation. Families belong at the centre of it. The routines, relationships and decisions waiting at home deserve our attention too.
Understand our approach →Real program photography from The Youth Regiment.
Matthew French · Founder and CEO
Leadership that
stays involved.
Hear from Matthew French about the responsibility of leading and staying involved.
Young people deserve adults who are willing to stay involved.
Schools · Veterans · Community
Every adult has a part to play.
Schools and educators
Bring us into the conversation about your students. Let’s look at where mentoring and practical education can add to the support already there.
Veterans and mentors
Your experience can serve a new purpose. Talk with us about contributing to young people, families and the community around them.
Partners and sponsors
Help a family take part, support practical learning or contribute to the work that continues after march-out.
The Forum · Lease secured
A place to return.
A reason to stay involved.
We have secured the lease for the conference centre connected to Oaks Waterfront Hotel at The Entrance. We are developing The Forum as a place for young people, families, veterans and community partners to keep working together. Residential programs continue at Kincumber.
Explore The Forum →The Forum · The Entrance, NSW · Lease secured
Bring your skills.
Put purpose into practice.
We are developing The Forum at the conference centre connected to Oaks Waterfront Hotel, The Entrance. A youth, cultural and veteran hub, with The Youth Regiment at its heart and shared purpose behind its doors.
Help build the movement ↗From Matthew French
Give the work
somewhere to continue.
I secured this space because families need somewhere to come back to. Somewhere to ask a question, reconnect and sit down with veterans willing to listen and stay involved.
During the week, the plan is to bring together people whose skills serve the mission: photography, videography, podcasting, marketing, technology and veteran advocacy. Flexible spaces will make room for workshops, seminars, keynote addresses, book launches, fundraising dinners and black-tie galas.
We are developing free youth PT, conversations with parents and community support alongside Safe Link Alliance, including food-bank initiatives. Purpose has to become something useful for the person who needs help.
Scheduled · 13 January 2027
Our next parent seminar.
The Forum’s official opening.
Our parent seminar and The Forum launch are planned for 13 January 2027. Senator Jacqui Lambie has confirmed she will join the January program and has expressed her hope to attend the launch. Read her letter and our announcement →
Speak with us about attendance. We will announce individual activities and services as they are confirmed.
Ask about the January seminar ↗Make the purpose useful.
Fundraising events will help families access our national youth development program. My aim is to bring people, practical support and youth-development expertise together at The Entrance, then build an approach that can be replicated nationally.
At The Forum, you don’t pay rent. You pay with purpose.
Fortified Futures residential programs remain at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber.
Discuss a partnership ↗January 2027 · Family enquiries
Let’s talk about your young person.
Enquire about Fortified Futures, 6–14 January at Kincumber. Libby Stewart, our Onboarding Director, is your first contact.
The enquiry form sends your details to our team through Zoho. An enquiry does not reserve a place.
sales@theyouthregiment.com.auWebsite information
Your enquiry.
Your choice to send.
How the contact options on this website work.
Preparing an enquiry
The email enquiry form prepares a message in your browser. This site does not submit those form entries to a database, store them in browser storage or send them automatically.
Choosing “Open my email app” passes the prepared message to your email application. Review it there and choose whether to send it. Your email service’s privacy settings and terms apply.
What to include
Give us enough information to start a useful conversation. Keep a young person’s medical records, diagnoses and other sensitive details for the private enrolment process.
When you contact us
Family and school enquiries go to Libby at sales@theyouthregiment.com.au. Child sponsorship and Forum purchase enquiries go to Matthew French at matt@theyouthregiment.com.au. You choose whether to send the prepared message from your email service. For questions about information you have shared, contact the relevant person directly.
Enrolment enquiry form
The enrolment enquiry link opens our existing Zoho Forms service in a separate tab. Unlike the email preparation tool on this site, that form submits the details you choose to enter to The Youth Regiment through Zoho. Review the form before submitting.
Other websites and hosting
External links, including LinkedIn and video links opened separately, may have their own privacy practices. The hosting provider may process technical request information needed to serve this site. No third-party analytics or advertising scripts have been added to this website.
Enrolment terms
An enquiry starts a conversation. It does not create a booking. Ask us for the current written enrolment, payment, cancellation and privacy information before making a commitment.
Back to enquiries →Community · Safe Link Alliance
Become someone
others can count on.
When I ask a young person to take responsibility, I want them to see what that means in another person’s life. Prepare a meal. Listen to a story. Be there when someone needs a hand.
Alongside Safe Link Alliance, our young people help serve meals and connect with people doing it tough. I want them to recognise what they can contribute and the responsibility we share for one another.
Matthew French · Founder and CEO, The Youth Regiment
Watch the full film ↗Service in practice
See a need.
Make a contribution.
During Fortified Futures, half the platoon attends community outreach alongside our mentors. They have an opportunity to practise empathy, gratitude and responsibility by doing something useful for someone else.
Gosford · Mondays, 6 pm
Wyong · Wednesdays, 6 pm
Speak with our team about taking part or supporting the work. Confirm the current meeting arrangements with us before attending.
Discover our community base at The Forum →Ideas, experience and responsibility
The Founder’s Brief
What I have learned, what I am questioning and the standards I believe we owe young people, families and one another.
The Founder’s Brief · Matthew French
When Loyalty and Leadership Collide
14 October 2026 · Leadership and accountability
Leading means making difficult decisions and accepting responsibility for them. My reflections on loyalty, accountability and living by the standards we ask young people to meet.
The Founder’s Brief · Matthew French
I'm not interested in managing decline, not in young people, families or communities. I'm interested in building something that lasts.
21 August 2026 · Leadership and lasting support
My vision for bringing young people, families, veterans and communities together early, then giving that work somewhere to continue.
Read on LinkedIn ↗The Founder’s Brief · Matthew French
The Central Coast Is About to Do Something the Rest of Australia Has Been Talking About for Years
18 August 2026 · The Central Coast and a national vision
Why I believe the Central Coast can bring schools, veterans, families and community partners into the same conversation and turn shared purpose into action.
Read on LinkedIn ↗The Founder’s Brief · Matthew French
The Data They Don't Want You to See: Four Charts That Expose Australia's Mental Health
5 June 2026 · The evidence and the questions it raises
My reading of four charts on mental health services, access, prescribing and outcomes, and the questions I believe we need to ask about support for young people and families.
Read on LinkedIn ↗The Founder · Standards Series
The Founder
Standards Series
Book Launch — TBC
I will share the book launch details once they are confirmed.
Put the ideas into practice.
Operation Australia · OpOz
From the frontline.
Into the conversation.
The people with boots on the ground see what is happening long before it reaches a boardroom. Their experience deserves to be heard, the problems deserve to be understood, and the conversation needs to lead somewhere useful.
Matthew French · Founder & CEO, The Youth Regiment · Founding contributor, Operation Australia
Meet the contributor
Matthew French
I’m an Afghanistan combat veteran, Founder and CEO of The Youth Regiment, and a founding contributor to Operation Australia. I have spent more than a decade working with young people and their families.
I built The Youth Regiment because young people deserve adults who see their potential and are prepared to stand beside them. My military service and work with families have shaped a simple standard: take responsibility, lead by example and keep showing up.
Through OpOz, I bring those lessons into the national conversation. I write about youth development, family connection, early intervention and the responsibility that comes with leadership. The aim is to put frontline experience on the record, ask the difficult questions and offer practical ways forward.
Read my full founder biography →Watch · Operation Australia
Experience belongs
in the conversation.
OpOz is an independent editorial platform bringing lived and professional experience into public discussion. It gives the people doing the work space to explain what they are seeing and what could change.
Watch the Operation Australia launch film, then explore my articles below.
Published on Operation Australia
My articles.
What I have seen, what it has taught me, and the questions I believe we need to keep asking. Read each article in full on OpOz.
When loyalty and leadership collide
The difficult decisions behind leadership, the responsibilities we carry for others, and why accountability has to include the person doing the leading.
Read on OpOz ↗Mental health spending falls short for young Australians
The questions I believe we need to ask about investment, access and whether support is reaching young people and families when they need it.
Read on OpOz ↗The battlefield taught me how vulnerability can heal families
What military service and work with families have taught me about shared vulnerability, trust and the importance of knowing you are not facing a difficult moment alone.
Read on OpOz ↗Australia’s youth crisis was visible years before policy caught up
The patterns I observed while working with young people and parents, and why frontline experience needs a place in decisions about early intervention.
Read on OpOz ↗Explore more of the people and perspectives contributing to Operation Australia.
Visit my OpOz profile ↗The Youth Regiment
The conversation matters.
What we do next matters too.
These are the same responsibilities we bring to our work with young people, parents and veterans: listen, take ownership, and put the lessons into practice.
Photos & Footage
See the people.
See the work.
Real moments from our programs, our families and the communities around us. Open a photo to see it in full, or choose a film to watch the work in motion.
PhotoView full size ↗Showing up together
Participants take part in a shared outdoor training session.
PhotoView full size ↗A moment at march-out
Participants stand together at the end of a program.
FootageWatch film ▶Fortified Futures
Watch a film introducing the program experience.
PhotoView full size ↗The family beside them
A moment of connection between a participant and family.
PhotoView full size ↗Learning at the Centre of Excellence
Matthew French speaks with a group of participants.
FootageWatch film ▶The parent workshop
A look at the conversations with parents and carers.
PhotoView full size ↗Leading by example
Mentors stand alongside young people during practical activities.
PhotoView full size ↗Recognising the effort
Max Garcia speaks at a Youth Regiment march-out.
FootageWatch film ▶Working alongside schools
Explore our work with students and school communities.
PhotoView full size ↗Everyone has a part
A shared task puts teamwork into practice.
PhotoView full size ↗The moments that matter
Connection is part of the work.
FootageWatch film ▶Service in the community
Watch young people and mentors contribute alongside Safe Link Alliance.
There is a family behind every enquiry. Tell us what you need to understand before taking the next step.
Explore parent FAQs →Questions from parents
Ask the questions.
Know the next step.
You are trusting us with someone who matters to you. Take the time to understand the program, the people and the support around your family.
13 questions parents ask
Before you decide
What ages is Fortified Futures for, and is it suitable for my child?
Fortified Futures is for young people aged 12–17. We discuss each family’s circumstances individually, including support and access needs. An age range alone does not establish suitability.
Start with an honest conversation about your young person, what is working and where they need support. Talk with Libby before making a decision.
When and where is the next program?
The next residential program runs from 6–14 January 2027 at Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber, NSW. The parent workshop is on 13 January 2027 at The Forum, The Entrance.
Contact the team for current availability, arrival and march-out arrangements. Sending an enquiry does not reserve a place.
What will my young person be doing?
Fortified Futures combines veteran-led mentoring, practical activities, teamwork and consistent routines. Young people have opportunities to practise responsibility, build connections and recognise what they can contribute.
Ask us to explain the activities, expectations and support arrangements for your intake. Explore the program or view photos and footage.
How much does it cost, and what is included?
The program fee is $5,000. It includes:
- The nine-day residential program, participant accommodation, uniforms and all program activities.
- Five meals each day and return Sydney Airport transfers for participants.
- Mentor-facilitated phone calls home.
- The eight-hour parent workshop and five weeks of post-program support and training packages.
Parent hotel accommodation is booked and paid for separately. Any further one-to-one mentoring is agreed separately, including availability and fees. Request the complete written inclusions and payment terms before enrolling.
Can you help with travel and airport transfers?
Return Sydney Airport transfers for participants are included. Confirm the meeting point, flight requirements and transfer times with our team before booking travel.
Ask for the current joining instructions so your family has the correct arrival and collection arrangements.
During the program
Can my child speak with me during the program?
Mentor-facilitated phone calls home are included. Confirm the timing and contact arrangements for your intake with the team.
Before arrival, make sure you know how to contact the team if an urgent family matter arises.
What if my child has medical, medication or additional support needs?
Discuss these privately with the team during suitability assessment. The published enrolment terms require medication in a Webster-Pak, clear dosage instructions and a medical certificate. Confirm your young person’s requirements with the team before arrival. Ask for the medical, supervision and additional support arrangements in writing before deciding.
Keep diagnoses, prescriptions and medical records out of the general website enquiry. Use that enquiry to arrange a private conversation.
What should my child pack?
Uniforms are included. Request the current joining instructions and packing list for your intake before preparing clothing, footwear and personal items.
Confirm medication arrangements separately during enrolment so your family understands the required process before arrival.
Who will be mentoring my young person?
Learn about our mentors, their backgrounds and the standards we ask them to model. Meet the team here.
Ask us who is delivering your intake and how supervision, Working With Children Check verification and safeguarding are managed. You deserve to understand the arrangements before enrolling.
Parents, booking & what comes next
What do parents take part in?
The package includes an eight-hour parent workshop at The Forum, our facility connected to the Oaks Waterfront Hotel at The Entrance. The January workshop is on 13 January 2027.
The focus is on the adults around the young person as well as the young person themselves: the conversations, routines and standards your family can keep practising at home. Explore parent support.
Do parents need to book accommodation?
Participant accommodation is included in the residential program. Parent hotel accommodation is separate.
Families can access discounted Oaks accommodation when booking by phone and mentioning The Youth Regiment, plus free parking at the Oaks for families attending the parent workshop. Confirm availability and current arrangements directly before booking.
What support is available after the program?
The package includes five weeks of post-program support and training packages, giving families a way to keep practising what they have learned.
If you would like further one-to-one mentoring, speak with us about availability and arrangements with Matthew French or Max Garcia. Any additional fees are agreed separately.
What about payments, sponsorship, cancellations and refunds?
Speak with the team about payment arrangements and any sponsored places currently available. Funding and sponsorship depend on circumstances and availability.
The published terms specify a $500 non-refundable administration fee at enrolment and the remaining balance at least 14 days before the program. Ask for a written breakdown showing how that administration fee is applied to the advertised $5,000 package before paying. Cancellation refunds depend on notice; read the full payment and cancellation terms.
No matching questions. Try another word, clear your search or talk with Libby.
Still have a question?
Bring it to us. You deserve a clear conversation before deciding what is right for your family.