Bernie Shakeshaft

Founder Director

With 25+ years of youth work experience under his belt, he believes that young people are the most accurate barometer of how we are faring as a nation. In the early days of his career, Bernie saw kids dropping out of school, getting into trouble and falling through the cracks of a system that couldn’t meet their complex needs. BackTrack was his solution. In 2006, Bernie founded the organisation with just a shed, a passionate crew of volunteers and a desire to make a real difference. Since then, BackTrack has gained national recognition for its holistic, flexible and long-term model. After holding the position of CEO for 15 years, Bernie continues to play an active role in setting the organisation’s strategic direction in his capacity as founder, board director and member of the Executive team.