The Wave Project

Saw a group gathering on the Prom as I walked along the beach. They were all wearing tee-shirts with 'The Wave Project' on them so I asked them what it was all about. They directed me to this woman in the pink who was one of the organisers. It is a 'surf therapy' charity that uses surfing to help young people with various mental health issues - teaching them an exciting new activity but also providing personal mentors to assist in their development, not just as surfers but also as people. This group (part of a UK-wide organisation) usually operates at Belhaven Bay near Dunbar but a lot of their volunteers live in Edinburgh so for this small event, to mark World Mental Health Day, they gathered on Portobello Beach at sunset and headed out for a 'paddle-out' - a surfers commemoration when a group will head out into the water and form a circle.