The Wave Project Aims to Raise £100,000 in Big Give Christmas Challenge

The Wave Project, the leading UK charity using Surf Therapy to support children and young people, is set to participate for the third consecutive year in the Big Give's Christmas Challenge. The charity has set an ambitious fundraising target of £100,000 to expand its vital services across the UK.

From the 3^rd – 10^th December 2024, The Wave Project aims to raise £50,000 in donations, which will be matched pound-for-pound by the Big Give. This funding will enable the charity to extend its reach to even more children across its 16 locations, from Newquay to Edinburgh and Bristol to Portrush.

More children than ever are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. The demand for mental health services has increased dramatically in recent years. The Wave Project uses Surf Therapy to support children as young as eight who have faced significant life challenges, including bullying, bereavement, abuse, neglect and discrimination. The programme has proven effective in boosting confidence, resilience and self-esteem among participants. 

The campaign kicks off on the 3^rd of December, which is also Giving Tuesday, providing an excellent opportunity for supporters to maximise their impact. A contribution of £35 could provide a wetsuit for a child to participate in The Wave Project’s programmes, while £83 could fund a single Surf Therapy session. For those able to give more, £600 could support a child through an entire 6-week Surf Therapy course. Normally, these services would cost twice as much, but with the Big Give Christmas Challenge, your donation goes much further.

Ramon Van de Velde, Chief Executive Officer at The Wave Project, said: "We are currently supporting over 2,100 children and young people annually, but our goal is to increase this to 2,500 in the coming year. It has been a challenging time for most charities due to the cost-of-living crisis and current fundraising climate and we are no exception. People’s generosity to help us improve young lives is more needed now than ever and this Christmas Challenge is our opportunity to make a significant impact for those who need it most."

To get involved, visit Waveproject.co.uk and donate from the 3^rd of December 2024. All donations made to The Wave Project will be doubled. This means that every contribution, regardless of size, will have twice the impact on the lives of young people struggling with their mental health.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please get in touch with Joy Corcec, Marketing Manager at The Wave Project via joyc@waveproject.co.uk or 07778421989.

About The Wave Project

Founded in 2010, The Wave Project offers the world's first Surf Therapy course funded by a government health service. Based in Cornwall, the charity has expanded across the southwest of England to North Yorkshire, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Brighton and London, with over 14,000 young people having accessed Surf Therapy courses to date. 

Visit The Wave Project website – www.waveproject.co.uk

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About Big Give

https://linktr.ee/TheBigGive

Big Give is a registered charity (1136547) that runs match funded campaigns for charities andspecial causes at key moments across the year. By connecting charities to match funders (like philanthropists, foundations or corporates) and the public, Big Give helps them double their donations. And, in doing so, makes an extraordinary difference to the world’s biggest challenges. It has raised more than £236m for charities, to date.

It’s a simple idea - when the public donates to a charity through a Big Give campaign, it asks funders (philanthropists, foundations, government departments or corporates) to  match that donation. So £50 from a member of the public becomes £100 for a good cause.

Big Give has supported more than 10,000 charities and has worked with some of the biggest names in UK philanthropy and charitable grant-making, which provide match funding, including DCMS, People’s Postcode Lottery, Candis Club Magazine, EQ Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Reed Foundation, The Waterloo Foundation, The Hospital Saturday Fund, The Childhood Trust and others including high-net-worth individuals such as Julia and Hans Rausing.