Early last summer we profiled a unique UK program. For years the Wave Project in Bristol, England has been specifically utilizing the Wave surf park to enhance the mental and physical health of young people in need.

The Wave Project works as a surf therapy intervention that takes young people aged 8 to 21 who might be struggling with mental health or have experienced some trauma and gets them and their families into the water.

In four years the Bristol branch has trained 113 volunteers and supported 131 local children who were struggling with their mental health. Each surf therapy course consists of 6 weekly sessions, each around 2 hours in length, where young people are partnered one-to-one with a volunteer surf mentor, who is there to support them physically and emotionally.

There is a growing Wave Project family of young people, mentors, and coaches who all rely on donations to continue their work. The group is now in the middle of a crucial fundraiser.

“A big part of what we do is we provide 1 to 1 mentorship with our trained volunteers,” said Tim Trythall. “That’s a big, big part of what we do. It’s about having as much fun as possible in the water and trying to create that kind of space where they might feel different from their normal life and provide a bit of a scene change and confidence.”

You can read the full interview and article here. In the meantime, check the artful film detailing their work.