Three year’s funding confirmed for the Wave Project Summer Surf Challenge for disabled people.
The company contributed a grant to last year’s event, and four of their staff volunteered over the weekend.
Now Amlin have agreed to to extend a further £7,500 in funding over the next three years until 2018.
Chris Harvey, one of Amlin’s volunteer surfers, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the Wave Project’s Surf Challenge for the next three years, helping to provide continuity to this inclusive event. Enabling disabled people to experience the excitement of surfing for the first time is highly rewarding for the individuals, their families and the Amlin volunteers.”
The Surf Challenge takes place annually at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, and offers disabled people of all ages the opportunity to try surfing free of charge.
It brings together the whole surfing community who volunteer their time to help run free taster sessions for people with disabilities. The event is supported by Fistral Beach Surf School, Newquay Surf Lifesaving Club and Surfing GB.
Pro surfers and former champions, including Russell Winter, Hannah Harding and Tom Butler have attended previous events. They are supported by hundreds of surfers from all over the country who come to help others enjoy the benefits of surfing.
Wave Project spokesman Joe Taylor said the Summer Surf Challenge embodied the Wave Project slogan – “Share The Stoke”.
He said: “This event is all about inclusiveness. It is an opportunity for disabled people to try surfing without any barriers. But it is also a chance for surfers to volunteer their time to help others.
“The event always has a fantastic atmosphere, made possible by all the fantastic people who come down to support it.”
“But even with all the voluntary support there are some overheads and costs we can’t avoid, so this funding from Amlin will ensure that those costs are covered and that the project can take place every year.”
Mr Taylor added that surfing already has its share of disabled heroes, who abled-bodied surfers already look up to.
He said: “It’s worth remembering that some of the world’s greatest surfers have impairments – people like Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm in a shark attack, or Clay Marzo who has autism.
“We would like to show that surfing is one of the sports where disabled people can compete on a level playing field with able-bodied surfers. This is a chance to do that while having lots of fun in the process.”
Next summer the Summer Surf Challenge will take place over the weekend of 27-28 June.
Nick Rees from Surfing GB said: “We are delighted to be supporting this fantastic event. Surfing GB is committed to increasing opportunities for all in surfing across the UK, so we are proud to be supporting the Summer Surf Challenge that will enable disabled people to take part in surfing.”
More information about the Wave Project can be found at www.waveproject.co.uk. The images attached are taken from last year’s even by Simon Burt Photography.
