Why We're Here
This is the story of a mum, her little boy, and a backyard that was supposed to be finished months ago.
What Happened
The contractor who took the money and ran
A single mum in Doreen hired a landscaper to transform her steep, unusable backyard into a safe space for her family. The 4.5-metre slope from the house to the back fence needed serious work — retaining walls, steps, paving, the lot.
She paid tens of thousands of dollars. The contractor started the job, then disappeared — leaving behind an unfinished construction site where a backyard should be. No retaining walls. No steps. No safe space for her son to play. Just dirt, exposed drops, and broken promises.
Meet Ares
A little boy who deserves a backyard
Ares is on the autism spectrum. For kids like him, having a safe, predictable outdoor space isn't just nice to have — it's essential. A calm garden to explore, defined zones he can understand, a cubby house to call his own, soft turf to run on. These things make a real difference.
Right now, his backyard is a construction site. His mum can't let him play out there. She's doing everything she can, but after being ripped off, the money to finish the job just isn't there.
That's Where We Come In
Mates helping mates
When we found out what happened, the answer was simple: we'll build it ourselves. A group of mates, tradies, and good people from the community are coming together to give this family the backyard they were promised.
We've designed the full transformation — three connected living tiers with retaining walls, a jacuzzi retreat, a pergola where mum can watch Ares play, and a proper lawn with a cubby house. Now we need hands to build it and funds to buy the materials.
Every dollar donated goes directly to materials. Every hour volunteered gets us closer. Any surplus goes into a fund for Ares' future.
