Epic Cycling Challenge Arrives on Yorkshire Coast to Highlight Surf Therapy

Stephen Spencer, a dedicated volunteer with The Wave Project, is set to arrive in Scarborough on Thursday as part of his ambitious "Wheels, Waves & Stories" fundraising challenge.

This significant journey aims to raise funds for the UK's leading surf therapy charity and underscore the profound impact of community-led support for young people.

Over the course of the summer, Stephen plans to visit all 16 The Wave Project locations across the UK. Starting in Bristol, he’ll cycle over 1,034 miles, from Fistral Beach to the Isle of Wight, and from Scarborough to St Andrews in Scotland, finishing at Lost Shore in Edinburgh. Along the way, he will share stories and get into the sea to support young surfers and connect with the incredible volunteer teams who make it all happen.

His stop in Scarborough on Thursday is a key part of his journey along the east coast. 

The Wave Project, which began in Cornwall in 2012, was founded by surfers who recognized the beneficial effects of being in the sea. It has since grown into a national network, delivering evidence-based surf therapy sessions that help children and young people improve their mental health. The charity's programmes are designed to build confidence, reduce anxiety, and foster a sense of connection among young participants, supported by trained volunteers.

Stephen Spencer highlighted the core of the initiative,

"The power of what we do is the community that's created. It creates a safe space for people to be themselves.

There's something magical about the ocean in terms of the effect it has on people either calming or the ability to leave behind stress and pressure or lots of other just positive effects of been out in the ocean.

Surfing itself isn't a particularly easy thing to do. So it builds resilience. You fail a lot while learning, and we celebrate those failures just as much as we celebrate the successes.

So it, it brings something almost magical, I think. 

Stephen says his journey around the different Wave Project locations has shown him the value of the project to the children who take part.

"I've had some tremendous surf sessions, but I've also had some tremendous wave project surf therapy sessions in not very good surf.

The kids learn a lot, even if the water's flat and they can just get in there to move it. So I've had some great waves. I've also had some amazing experiences where there haven't been any waves and little things like being part of a young adaptive surfers first waves and being part of some of the kids catching more waves than they've ever caught, and being a part of learning how to help people with mobility difficulties, just get them to understand the pure joy of surfing a wave as well.

That smile on a kid's face when they catch a great wave, or the first wave, or the one they wanted is probably the best part of it."

Matt Jones, Project Coordinator in Scarborough, shared a powerful local example of the charity's impact:

“We had a SEN school join us, including a young girl with Down syndrome who had always been afraid of water.

Over the course of just one session, supported by our incredible volunteers, she went from fear to joy – and it was completely life changing.

It’s moments like that which show the real impact of this work.”

Stephen echoes those comments adding that his tour of the Wave Project locations has highlighted a common "vibe" across the different surfing communities.

"Every place is different. There's a different beach, different surf conditions, a different surf community, different local needs in terms of the young people we work with, but what's absolutely the same is what I call it, the vibe in the water the atmosphere in the water when the kids, the wave project team and the volunteers get together, everywhere I've been, that's exactly the same.

There's something in there about the sort of the kindness in that environment. There's something in there about how much work goes into it. A lot of the volunteers put a lot of commitments into getting to the beach and making time in their lives. And there's something in there about working together as a community."

Stephen is using the cycle ride to shine a light on the work being done by the Wave Project Surf Therapy teams and also to help raise funds for the organisation.

"I've had lots and lots of people doing a small thing. So far the last time I looked at just giving, we had about 4,000 pounds in there already with some pledges for another, maybe two.

And so I'm only partway through at the moment and post this, I'm gonna put all this together into a book and use that to continue the fundraising as well.

So if anybody's interested in that, it, they can look on just giving at wheels, waves, and stories, and they'll see the story of the Wave project. They'll see the the thinking behind what I'm doing to draw attention to it. And if they feel so motivated, it would be brilliant if they could donate or send a supportive message."

Viv Williamson, Head of Fundraising at The Wave Project, expressed hope that people across the UK will support Spencer

“Stephen’s journey is an amazing reminder of what this charity is all about: community, connection and a shared belief that we can change young lives through the power of surfing.

From the moment he shared his plans, our whole team has rallied behind him, making sure he has a bed for the night, something to eat and a Surf Therapy session to join at every stop.

We hope people across the UK will get behind Stephen too, whether by donating, sharing his story, or cheering him on as he pedals his way across the UK.”

There is more information about Stephen's fundraising challenge at https://www.justgiving.com/page/wheelswavesandstories

Thee is more information about the Scarborough branch of the Wave Project at https://www.waveproject.co.uk/project-locations/scarborough/