Healing young minds through Surf Therapy
With Waves for Change
Helping the club support young talent into adulthood through their youth Academy.
Surf Therapy has been making waves across shores all over the world, and non-profit organisation Waves for Change has been proving this through their incredible programmes in and around home coastlines in South Africa, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Waves for Change have been pioneering the Surf Therapy programme, giving vulnerable children from disadvantaged backgrounds, a chance to learn, grow and heal through the rush of surfing and supportive mentorship.
Often exposed to gang culture, drug and alcohol abuse, W4C offers children respite from the stress caused by the adversity they experience daily. Helping them build on a “positive self” concept by independently mastering tasks, such as surfing and meditation, as well as teaching life skills, behaviours and community interaction. At the heart of the programme are youth from the same or similar contexts to the participants, recruited because of their values and commitment to being change-makers in their community.
We have been proud partners of W4C right from the first formation in 2009. We support the surf therapy mentors by investing in their skills and understanding, and providing the resources – such as transport, surf boards, wetsuits, and access to psychologists that allow this inclusive wellbeing service to be delivered through the impactful surf therapy sessions.
Most recently, we offered support in the way of new clothing, contributed by employees, shipped to the children of the charity’s Liberia programme, just in time for Christmas.
We are also helping The Wave Alliance to expand into a new territory in Tanzania, with the funding of a brand-new TV advert that will be broadcast on Tanzanian national TV, encouraging more local, non-profit organisations to participate in the incredible work Waves for Change do.
Waves for Change continue to touch our hearts with their unwavering support to vulnerable young people in the community. And it is with great pride that we can contribute to funding their incredible work.
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