Falling and Flying: Our Referral Service for Children and Young People at The Wave

There is something magical about the feeling of finally achieving that thing you have been working towards.  Maybe you have faced hurdles, disappointments, times when you thought it was never going to happen – but then suddenly it does – and you are soaring!

This is the kind of magic that happens at Surf Therapy, on Wednesday evenings, at the The Wave.

Our Children’s team – Link Forward – witnessed this magic when we visited The Wave on a gloriously sunny Wednesday evening in October. We have been referring young people to The Wave Surf Therapy course for more than four years now, and the stories we have heard, and the pictures we have seen, have always made us smile.

But being able to go and witness the impact these sessions have on young people was truly moving. We have been working with some of these young people for months, and to be able to celebrate their success with them felt like an honour.

We saw some of them ‘wipe out’, but come up from the water smiling and laughing; maybe the biggest wins are resilience and perseverance. We watched mentors cheer them on, encourage them to take risks, and then see their joy when it all paid off. We saw parents watch on proudly, being able to be part of the joyful moment when their young person caught the wave and rode it.

All young people need opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone – and when they are surrounded by a safe community they can fall, and it is OK.  But also, they might get the chance to fly.

Thank you to The Wave for being our fantastic partner and providing such great opportunities for the young people we are working with.

You can read more about our Children and Young People’s Service and what we do HERE

Find out more about hiring therapy rooms for work with children and young people HERE