Sea change: How the Jaggy Thistle is supporting kids who need our help

VIDEO: An insight into The Jaggy Thistle's chosen charity, The Wave Project

Credit: Samuel Howard

West Sands beach in St Andrews sees the extremes of Scottish weather. Some days it is glorious, the sky a cobalt blue and the water a luminous aquamarine. At other times the hail is horizontal and the North Sea gales unforgiving.

And yet I have seen miracles on this beach in fair weather and foul.

Let me declare an interest. My younger son Ruairidh works for a charity called The Wave Project. This is a mental health intervention for children who, for a variety of reasons, are struggling.

Kids get referred to The Wave Project by GPs, schools, social workers and NHS children’s mental health services. Some of these kids are in care; some are carers themselves, looking after siblings or parents; some have a disability; some have autism; some have challenges in their immediate family or at school and are finding it difficult to cope.

The Wave Project teaches these children to surf. Over time these kids build their resilience, their self-confidence and their social skills. With the help of trained volunteer mentors they tame the cold and powerful waves of the North Sea.

Credit: Kenny Farquharson

I’ve seen the effect this has close up. Mothers of severely disabled children have told me how youngsters who looked forward to nothing were raring to go to the beach every week. Carers of kids who were particularly hard to reach told me this was the one thing that made a difference.

Nature heals. Especially nature at its most raw and challenging. But it is not really about surf. It is about people. The kids receive 1:1 support and feel part of a community that both nurtures and challenges.

The Wave Project is The Jaggy Thistle’s chosen charity. Ten per cent of net subscription money - after Substack and Stripe have taken their cut - will be donated to the charity’s Scottish coffers every year.

When you take out a paid subscription to The Jaggy Thistle and become a Premium Subscriber you are helping these children find their footing in life.

Here’s a taste of what you are supporting. And yes, the handsome project co-ordinator being interviewed in this video is my son Ruairidh. His brother James is in the video too as a volunteer.

You can learn more about the work of The Wave Project here. The growing evidence supporting the efficacy of surf therapy is examined here. This is a worldwide phenomenon, with projects everywhere there are waves, from South Africa to California.

The Wave Project has two outposts in Scotland, at St Andrews and Dunbar, with another in the pipeline. Across the UK the charity has 16 locations.

Below are some pictures from Scottish sessions, including the day Kelly Slater, the world’s most famous surfer, came to visit the Wave Project in St Andrews.

Kelly Slater at the Wave Project in St Andrews. Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Samuel Howard

Credit: Samuel Howard

Credit: Samuel Howard

Credit: The Wave Project

Credit: The Wave Project

Thanks for reading to the end. If you fancy becoming a volunteer with The Wave Project, you can sign up here.

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“A chield's amang you takin notes, And faith he'll prent it.”

Robert Burns