ASI Schools Work with the Wave Project Helping Young People. UK

ASI training centre of excellence, Gwithian Academy of Surfing, Cornwall spends the off season running training programmes for the ASI and also an induction course for the Wave Project Charity.

The Wave Project is a registered charity that runs therapeutic surf courses for young people aged between 8-21 years old who are socially isolated. This can be through mental health issues, rural isolation, family problems, disability or traumatic experiences. The surf projects are designed to help improve self-confidence, resilience and motivation.

For the last 4 years Gwithian Academy of Surfing has worked with the Wave Project to provide training to their volunteer surf mentors – the guys and girls who help them run surf therapy sessions throughout the season. This year they will continue as one of their surf providers running the surf sessions and a surf club for their clients.

The volunteer induction course ran on Saturday 25th March and was a great success. There were 12 volunteers who all coped extremely well in challenging surf conditions.

They learned skills such as: Handling equipment safely with the Wave Project clients, surf safety hazards, emergency signals, how a surf session with clients normally operates and correct technique for assisting clients to catch waves, some of which are disabled. They learned how to identify and overcome specific challenges when working with clients; from coping with extremely anxious young adults to keeping others calm and happy whilst they wait to go surfing.

ASI trainer Ian Gabbitas says: “The volunteers did brilliantly considering the windy conditions out there. The Wave Project is such a great cause, we have lots of kids come here who are anxious and withdrawn and really benefit from getting in the water and learning to surf. It’s great to see their beaming faces after each session, that’s what it’s all about!”

Joe Taylor, CEO of The Wave Project in Cornwall says: “The training course is invaluable to our volunteer surf mentors because of the knowledge and skills they gain from it.”

Raven Surf School in Bude works closely with the Wave Project. Owner Mike Raven holds an ASI level 4 master surfing coach accreditation. He says: “Wave Project is great…” www.ravensurf.co.uk

Gwithian Academy of Surfing is running surf courses for The Wave Project each Sunday 11-1pm and 2-4pm from 23 April-28th May 2017. www.surfacademy.co.uk
 

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