The local community has thrown its support behind a surfing program aimed at helping teenagers deal with mental health issues.
The program, developed by Girls on Board surf school in conjunction with the YMCA, includes four weeks of surf lessons and a campaign to normalise conversations around mental health.
Earlier this year, the YMCA put out a call to local business and individuals to support the program by sponsoring a place for a young person who might not have the funds to pay for a spot.
Michael Wright and the team from South Coast Bus answered the call, generously sponsoring all eight places in the first session of the program.
Darren “Curl” Marks, the Youth Program Coordinator at the YMCA said they’d been overwhelmed by the support the local community had shown for the program.
“We have enough money pledged to run three programs,” he said, with plans for more sessions to run in the Christmas holidays and term 1 of 2021.
“A huge thanks goes out to South Coast Bus for sponsoring our inaugural program that begins on November 11.”
He also thanked the Phillip Island Coastal Discovery Camp for providing extra equipment for the program.
A tough year
Michael Wright said the company was proud to support the initiative.
“We deal with a lot of youth, as the schools are the biggest users of our buses.
“We interact a lot with that age group,” he said, noting what a tough year it had been for young people.
“Everyone has had to make sacrifices, but teenagers are possibly a forgotten segment that have been affected.
“The fact the program focused on mental health and teens resonated with me.”
A surfer himself, Michael said he remembers his teenage years as “such a great time of my life”.
“To have that year taken out, not being able to see friends … I thought they’d missed out on a bit this year.
“As things get back to normal, we need to have ideas on ways to get people to reconnect.”
The first surf session is due to start in November at YCW beach, with lessons running from 4.30pm until 6pm.
Information about the course and dates for future sessions will be posted on the Girls on Board Facebook and Instagram accounts.
For $150 you can sponsor a student for the four-session program.
Anyone needing more information, or wanting to financially support the program, can contact Darren on 0407 515 333 or email darren.marks@ymca.org.au.
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