Surf therapy organisation Ocean Mind will be able to provide its unique service to more and more children in the Geelong and Surf Coast regions thanks to recently-announced funding from VicHealth’s Jumpstart! initiative.
Service manager for Ocean Mind’s Greater Geelong programs, Alice Creevey, said she was thrilled to receive the funding, which would ensure more young people could access the innovative program.
“We’re pumped, very grateful; the money will go directly into training up more volunteers to help more kids come through,” Ms Creevey said.
“We’re entirely self-funded, relying on grants and other community organisations to make this work possible.
“So we’re really grateful, we know there’s a high demand on mental health services in the region and we work to support lots of them in Geelong and offer an alternative therapy. This funding will really have a big impact.”
Ocean Mind provides therapeutic surf programs to young people who are experiencing mental health challenges, social isolation and disabilities and may not be responding well to more traditional forms of therapy.
Ms Creevey said the effects of Ocean Mind’s programs had to be seen to be believed.
“It’s absolutely magic, the outcomes and how quickly we see the change in the kids,” she said.
“The research and data tell us it works, but for me, it’s seeing the kids smiling for the first time in years, seeing someone make a friend or crack a joke, or just come back to their true selves.
“It’s pretty joyous, very special. And because it’s free you get really diverse groups of kids who wouldn’t normally hang out coming together to surf because they want to be outdoors, meet people and enjoy surfing.”
Ocean Mind is one of 123 organisations across Victoria that has received a share of $3.75m from Jumpstart!, alongside other Geelong organisations such as Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and Diversitat.
