Latest news with #TheWaveProject
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Surfathon raises money for charity project
Surfers have taken to the waves for a 12-hour event on a North Devon beach to raise money for a charity project. Surf therapy charity The Wave Project hosted its Inclusive Surfathon at Croyde beach on Friday to fundraise for its adaptive surfing programme, which provides opportunities for people with physical disabilities to try the sport. During the day instructors and volunteers offered support to surfers. Ian Bennett, inclusive lead at the charity, said there had been a lot of planning for the event and the end result was "amazing". Mr Bennett said more than 30 volunteers had helped about 20 surfers who had visited from across the country during the surfathon. The 2024 BBC South West Unsung Hero award winner added he hoped the event would be a showcase for the importance of the adaptive surfing programme. "It's so difficult to access the ocean for someone with a physical disability", he said. "It's an expensive sport for us to enable more access to more people, but breaking down these barriers and raising that money to help that happen, that's what it's all about." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Boy inspires charity to help others hit the surf 'Nothing stops me,' says surfer with one leg Adaptive surf instructor wins Unsung Hero award The Wave Project
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Devon Surfathon raises money for charity project
Surfers have taken to the waves for a 12-hour event on a North Devon beach to raise money for a charity therapy charity The Wave Project hosted its Inclusive Surfathon at Croyde beach on Friday to fundraise for its adaptive surfing programme, which provides opportunities for people with physical disabilities to try the the day instructors and volunteers offered support to Bennett, inclusive lead at the charity, said there had been a lot of planning for the event and the end result was "amazing". Mr Bennett said more than 30 volunteers had helped about 20 surfers who had visited from across the country during the 2024 BBC South West Unsung Hero award winner added he hoped the event would be a showcase for the importance of the adaptive surfing programme."It's so difficult to access the ocean for someone with a physical disability", he said."It's an expensive sport for us to enable more access to more people, but breaking down these barriers and raising that money to help that happen, that's what it's all about."
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Heady hady heady head
A South West charity is thinking of ways it can make surfing accessible to more disabled people – after being inspired by a Devon teenager who was desperate to hit the of disabled people now take to the waves with volunteers at The Wave Project's adaptive surfing centre in North charity's work was inspired by teenager George Palmer, now 17, who wanted to join other youngsters he saw out surfing at Bennett, the adaptive lead at the charity said: "We just really want the sea to be accessible to anybody. And if we can make that happen, then that's brilliant." The Wave Project said it was now thinking of ways to improve the experience for adaptive surfing. Ideas from its team of volunteers include putting visual markers on boards to help surfers position themselves, and adding more handles to Bennett said The Wave Project did not offer adaptive surfing before they were contacted by George's mum Nicki to ask if they could help him. "I told her, 'actually, we don't do that, we are a mental health charity but I'm happy to give it a go'." A couple of days before they were due to go out, Mr Bennett asked about George's disabilities and discovered he had quadriplegic cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and epilepsy. "At that point, I wondered really why I'd said yes", said Mr Bennett. "I probably didn't sleep for the next two Bennett said George's first surf was a "medicore experience" but when he asked Surfing England for advice, he realised there was no one offering adaptive surfing. The same year he took on another client, who had been a surfer before becoming disabled later in life, and said demand grew with more than 150 adaptive surfers now enjoying the waves at Croyde each wave project also now has an army of volunteers and an arsenal of boards for adaptive surfers. Facilities at Croyde beach have also been developed to include a dedicated accessible changing place by the the surfers is George, who has become a regular at Croyde beach, surfing at least once a month even in winter. Mr Bennett was the 2024 winner of the BBC South West Unsung Hero award for his work to develop adaptive surfing.
