Green Light Given For New Surf Centre

A Jersey charity has been given planning permission to build an inclusive surf centre in St Ouen's Bay.

Healing Waves offers ocean therapy to those living with disabilities and physical and neurological conditions. It also offers specialist training to support people with more severe physical disabilities in the water.

Speaking to Channel 103 about winning planning consent for the project, co-founder Max Wiltshire said how he was 'lost for words' with how much support there has been for the organisation.

"We'd like to attract as many contractors as possible now, who like the sound of what we do as a charity, as we'd like to make this as much as community effort as possible.

The centre is going to give us a permanent home and a safe space for our athletes."

The site at Le Braye is expected to open as early as Spring 2022.

Currently, the organisation offers access to surfing, paddle boarding and FlowRider sessions, as well as adaptive board sessions which 'enable any individual who may have less physical ability e.g. wheelchair users, to access the ocean and participate in surf and paddle activities'.

These activities happen across three sites - Le Braye, St. Brelade's Bay and the Merton Hotel - but now the charity wants to extend its services with help of this new centre.

"We can now offer more sessions to our ever-growing list of athletes - which is amazing!

We're in huge demand for what we offer already."

The charity was launched in 2017 by co-founders, Max Wiltshire, Dominic Booth and Seán Burke, with the aim of helping more people participate in water sport activities.

"Healing Waves hopes that by offering such a service each athlete that attends will leave feeling more empowered, relaxed and confident in their own abilities transferring this into their everyday lives."

Healing Waves has been the front-point for several recent fundraising events, with the most recent being their collaboration with Stinky Bay Brewing Co. on their 'Stinky Waves' Pale Ale.