We’re stoked to invite you to celebrate the launch of the Waves For Change Surf Club in Hout Bay, delivered in partnership with big wave pro surfer, Frank Solomon. To find out more about Waves for change click here. Pull in this Saturday 24th from 09.30 – 13.00 on Hout Bay beach and see the Surf Club in action. Learn the theory behind surf therapy before enjoying live music and a braai with Frank Solomon and the W4C team.
Frank has been a W4C ambassador since 2017. After seeing the positive impact of the programme at existing sites across SA, he was keen to recreate a similar initiative for his hometown. He initiated contact with the City, recruited 2 local coaches, engaged support from Llandudno lifesaving, and started attending training with W4C teams in Cape Town. In Feb 2018, under leadership from 2 local coaches and W4C team from Masiphumelele, approx 30 children from Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu townships started attending surf sessions each Saturday morning from 9.00 – 12.30.
Frank will be the Ambassador of the Hout Bay site, helping engage local community and brands to develop the programme into a fully fledged Surf Therapy Hub. The site is overseen by Apish, ‘Surf and Youth Development Manager’ at Waves for Change. Two surf coaches, Chadwin and Annele, are being trained and mentored by W4C team in Cape Town. Together, W4C and Frank aim to grow the site to provide surf therapy sessions to over 200 children each morning and afternoon during the week and grow the weekend Surf Club to offering lifeguard training, advanced surfing sessions, and environmental education. Led by surfers and mental health professionals, in partnership with township communities and the University of Cape Town, W4C provides access to caring mentors, a safe space and a provision of surf therapy to reach over 1000 young people per week across South Africa and Liberia.
