Scarborough Surf Therapy Project to be Highlighted at Free Event

Tuesday, 23 May 2023 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Surfing is being used to help young people in Scarborough deal with mental health issues.

The benefits of using surf therapy to help youngsters tackle mental health issues will be explored in a talk in Scarborough tonight.

The Wave Project has been delivering surf therapy sessions in the town for the last six years, it's part of a national project was has so far helped over five thousand young people.

Project Founder - Joe Taylor - explains how the youngsters benefit from surf therapy.

Joe will be hosting a free talk at Taylor's Bar in Scarborough tonight (May 23rd) at 6:30pm, all about surf therapy and the ground-breaking work that The Wave Project is leading to address increasing rates of mental health issues among children in the UK. The event is free to attend.

According to the NHS - one in six children under 18 have reported a mental health issue; a national lockdown in 2020/21 and the recent cost of living crisis has only increased the number of mental health issues and referrals in particular spikes in anxiety and depression.

The Wave Project says it aims to change this and for the last thirteen years has been running pioneering surf therapy programs across the UK to help children and young people struggling with anxiety and depression.

The Wave Project Founder and CEO, Joe Taylor will speak about what surf therapy is, the role the charity has played in the mental and emotional health of young people, and its ambitious plans for expansion.

Joe explains how the project works and how young people can access the surf therapy sessions.

Founded in 2010, The Wave Project is the world's first surf therapy course funded by a government health service. Based in Cornwall, the charity has expanded across the South West of England to North Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London, and now counts 40 staff and over 1,500 trained volunteer surf mentors, with 5,000 young people accessing Wave Project surf therapy courses to date.

The service is evidence-based and has been evaluated under peer review, with evaluation data showing that young people who participate in The Wave Project's surf therapy courses come away feeling more confident and better able to make new friends, and make their own decisions.

Joe says for the young people who attend the six week Surf Therapy courses there is additional support available after the course.