We are delighted to welcome five new trustees to its Board, further strengthening the charity’s mission to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people through Surf Therapy and the healing powers of the ocean and other blue spaces.

The new trustees bring a wealth of experience across finance, safeguarding, fundraising, technology, governance and mental health to the charity. Joining from across the UK, the new trustees will help steer the charity as it continues to expand access to Surf Therapy programmes for children and young people across the UK.

Each trustee shares a commitment to improving mental health outcomes and empowering young people – some already connected to the charity through volunteering or mentoring roles at their local project hub. They join existing Board members Brett Simpson (Chair), Will Robertson, Sally Munday OBE and Alison Oliver MBE.

The new trustees are:

• Gary Dreghorn (Scotland)
  Gary is a recently retired senior finance leader with over 35 years’ experience in the automotive industry. He is also a long-standing volunteer with The Wave Project in Scotland.
• Rachael Parker (Devon)
  As a Strategic Manager and Head of Service for Public Health Nursing at Somerset Council, Rachael focuses on mental health, safeguarding and improving health outcomes for young people.
• Caroline Keylock (West Sussex)
  A fundraising and marketing specialist, Caroline runs her own consultancy supporting businesses and charities to evolve their commercial strategy through powerful storytelling, as well as founding Board Women that gets 30+ year old women to embrace board sports and increase confidence.
• Richie Jones (Bristol)
  A tech entrepreneur, CEO of vast and Surf Mentor at our Bristol project, Richie has founded and scaled multiple purpose-driven businesses. He brings extensive experience in ecommerce, online strategy and ethical tech innovation.
• John Murphy (London)
  With a background in law and governance, John is the Global Head of People for the London Stock Exchange Group. He brings substantial knowledge in strategic leadership, change management, risk management and safeguarding.

Ramon Van de Velde, Chief Executive Officer at The Wave Project comments:

“We are so pleased to welcome five new trustees to the team, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to grow our impact across the UK. Their support will help us move closer to our vision; that every child and young person who could benefit from our interventions has the opportunity to access them.”