‘I don’t think any of us could have known just how much it would come to mean to him.’ 23 September 2026

Seb was just 8 years old when his mum became suddenly unwell and in need of a heart transplant. ‘Although we tried to keep life as normal as possible for our son Seb, there was inevitably a lot of uncertainty around him too.’ explained his mum. 

It was during this time that the Social Prescriber at Seb’s school referred him to The Wave Project for a 6-week Surf Therapy programme. His mum continues: ‘At first, I don’t think any of us could have known just how much it would come to mean to him. Seb took to surfing straight away. Over those six weeks, we watched something really special happen. His confidence began to grow, week by week. He had something that was completely his own, something to look forward to, something challenging but fun, and somewhere he could simply be himself.’ 

Surf Therapy uses the healing power of blue spaces, connection with others and an inclusive community to help build confidence, resilience and friendships for our young surfers. 

‘Seb built a lovely bond with his mentor who gave him so much encouragement. She helped him believe that he could do things he perhaps hadn’t believed he was capable of before. That encouragement seemed to unlock something in him.’ 

One day, Seb said something to his family that they will never forget. ‘Mummy and Daddy, I’m proud of myself.’ 

This is the power of Surf Therapy. During times of uncertainty and fear, it can offer consistency, reliability, resilience and self-belief. 

‘It was the first time we had ever heard Seb say those words. At a time when our family was living in a world that was so uncertain, hearing that was incredibly emotional. We were so proud of him – not just because he was learning to surf, but because he was beginning to recognise his own strength and what he was capable of.’ 

‘[Surf Therapy] gave him a place where he could succeed, be encouraged and discover something that he loved.’ 

Seb has now become a regular at The Wave Project Surf Club, available to our young surfers on completion of the Surf Therapy programme. ‘It has become the highlight of his social calendar. He looks forward to it, talks about it constantly and loves being part of the surfing community.’ 

‘During a year when so much was outside of our control, surfing gave Seb something positive, empowering and joyful [and] we will always be grateful to The Wave Project, to the school Social Prescriber […] and especially to [Seb’s volunteer Surf Mentor] for the encouragement and belief she gave him. Sometimes, a child just needs someone to believe in them until they learn to believe in themselves.’ 

And that’s what Surf Therapy is all about.