The Wave Project Brighton & Sussex.

The Wave Project Brighton & Sussex works with children and young people aged 8-18 who need help with their mental health and wellbeing. Our award-winning Surf Therapy sessions take place on Southwick beach from April - October annually, supported by an amazing team of volunteer Surf Mentors. We teach children and young people to surf and acquire new skills in the water, however the real, transformative benefits are in the connections our young surfers make during our sessions – they connect with the sea and with nature, with their mentors and with each other.

An aim of our work is to build the confidence, resilience and self-esteem of young people by providing lots of outdoors fun in an accepting, nurturing group environment. This is therapy that doesn't feel like therapy and it really works - independent evaluation has shown that young people who attend our sessions are happier, calmer, more resilient and more likely to engage with education. Each year we work with 70+ young people from all over Sussex, many of whom go on to join our regular Surf Club, and then become Surf Mentors themselves.