Funding Secured for The Solace Sessions
We are incredibly proud to have been awarded new funding for the development of our wonderful Solace Sessions by Sport England's Movement Fund.
Last year we ran regular Friday sessions with teenage girls from our refugee community. The project was a huge success with fantastic feedback from the young people;
“I forget everything when I get in the ocean and truly get lost in the moment.”
This project will expand now to officially include swimming and body surfing alongside surfing and with the aim to ensure continued access through the club independently for our attendees post project.
As an organisation we have worked with survivors of domestic violence, BAME women and mothers of children of school age. Our CIC objectives are to work with marginalized groups that might not otherwise have the opportunities to engage in physical activities and introduce them to activities around the sea such as surfing, sea swimming and body surfing. Empirical evidence and our own experience shows us that the benefits of ocean therapy on mind and body are huge especially for individuals who feel isolated or socially excluded.
Our girls are from areas of the North East with the highest levels of poverty. We work in collaboration with the award winning charity Action Foundation to build these relationships and recruit girls keen to get in the sea. AF informs us that of the 206 children aged 5-18 that they work with living in Newcastle, 74% live in the top 10% most deprived communities in the UK. Many have gaps in their education, have SEND, are in or have experience of the care system or are “Unaccompanied Children”. They told us they struggle with their mental health and hold onto trauma. This means they are more likely to, and some have been, exploited due to their vulnerabilities such as gang violence and county lines.
As Director of Yonder CIC with over eight years experience working with survivors of trauma at the Red Cross and as a stoked surfer and surf coach, this project idea is both informed and inspired by experience.
In order to address barriers, support will be offered with transport to and from the sessions and food provided as most children will not have eaten properly. Demand from the community has been to help facilitate increased access to activities in the sea to include swimming & body surfing making the activities increasingly inclusive and accessible.
Solace Sessions break down existing and perceived ‘engagement barriers’. Sessions combat issues around body shame through the use of women fit wetsuits, culturally appropriate surf suits including sea hijabs provided by the wonderful @Finisterre, private changing facilities and women only spaces and coaches.
We refer to these activities as the arts of fun* Surfing, body surfing and sea dipping are personal journeys, full body workouts, immersive, non competitive and highly sensory appealing more often to those with negative associations of ‘sports’ mainly because they do not appear as a sport or as exercise at the time. These forms of activities are the perfect way to combat inactivity. There is nothing like this currently available in North Tyneside or surrounding areas and we are incredibly proud to both fund them and run them.
If you would like to donate to support our projects please we would be incredibly grateful.
*We borrowed ‘The Arts of Fun’ from a BMX charity in the USA called RADSHARE - we couldn’t think of a better one so we use theirs with respect!