What We Do

Waves for Change provides child-friendly mental health services to children and young people in under-resourced communities.

Insight into Surf Therapy and the link to Mental Health

Surf Therapy combines the positive health benefits of surfing and physical activity with activities proven to help young people build protective relationships, identify emotions, self-soothe and build a positive image of their future.

Our Programmes

Surf Therapy

Surf Therapy builds social connections, provides respite from difficult thoughts and feelings, and develops skills to cope with stress.

The Wave Alliance

Through training and mentoring, the Wave Alliance community grows access to community-owned mental health services in coastal communities worldwide.

Research, Learn, Adapt

Waves for Change strives to constantly learn from, refine, and improve our service through monitoring, evaluation, and research. We do this through partnerships with universities and funders, participating in communities of practice & learning networks, and creating spaces for our child and youth voices to be heard in our programme design and delivery.

Where We Work

W4C operates Beach Safe Hubs in coastal communities affected by violence, poverty and conflict, where mental health services are often stigmatised and under-resourced.

Working in partnership with local community members, we identify, train and provide resources to Community Coaches to deliver the Surf Therapy service.

  • Muizenberg
  • Monwabisi
  • Hout Bay
  • Port Elizabeth
  • East London

About Waves for Change

Since 2009, we have worked with universities, children and young people, to develop a community based, child-friendly mental health service.

Through published, participatory research, our Surf Therapy programme has been co-designed with children and youth alongside supervision from local mental health experts, leading to an innovative programme that is both child and youth friendly and evidence based.

Get a Child to the Beach

Just a ripple can make waves and change lives through surfing and child-friendly mental health.