STOKED: a surf therapy program in the time of COVID
The STOKED Surfing Program started during COVID19 lockdowns with seed funding from the South West Community Foundation. It teaches young people surfing as a coping strategy for mental health. The program proved so successful that it continues to run in 2023.
On Victoria’s south west coast, in the deepest part of lockdown, one of the only sports allowed was surfing. Through those long times, the beach became the only place where young people could connect, putting on wetsuits and sitting beyond the breakers, talking through what they were experiencing and throwing in a bit of fun and physical activity. For the young people of Warrnambool, surfing became the most important part of maintaining good mental health. People started to notice how important it was to maintain this sense of connection throughout and beyond lockdowns and started the STOKED Surfing Program in response.
South West Community Foundation (SWCF), which has been supporting communities throughout South West Victoria since 2007, partnered with the Fletcher Jones Family Foundation (FJFF) who provided seed funding for the pilot program. Brophy Family and Youth Service identified an opportunity to re-engage with a struggling youth cohort through the STOKED idea, and with their deep local knowledge, and the SWCF was proud to have been able to provide them with timely, tactical funding to fulfil an important need in a time of great distress for many.
Run for young people between the ages of 14-25, STOKED aims to teach surfing as a coping strategy for mental health issues. The program connects young people to their communities, and exposes them to the healing power of the ocean. It also delivers education on mental health, led by community leaders in health and wellbeing, as well as qualified practitioners from a range of Brophy programs including Headspace, DARE, and Healthy Relationships. And of course, the program would not be possible without the volunteer mentors from the local surfing community.
Since SWCF’s initial funding, STOKED has gone from strength to strength. Government agencies and departments, as well as other local philanthropic trusts, have recognised the overwhelming positive impact that a program like this provides the community. Brophy has since been successful in larger state and federal funding rounds, and was the Winner of the 2022 Vic Health “Building Back Better’ Award. All of this has enabled the creators to run the project full-time, engage more facilitators, purchase more equipment, and most importantly help many more young people, from the South Australian border all the way to Apollo Bay. Excitingly, in
The STOKED story highlights the natural agility of the community foundation model. SWCF was able to act quickly where other agencies and bureaucracies were slower to respond. The Foundation’s seed funding brought a solution to life, and in turn proved the need existed. The ripple effects of this seed funding cannot be overstated; it has since led to further funding, scaling up, resulting in even greater, ongoing community impact.
Just like South West Community Foundation, community foundations across the country have the freedom to fund niche solutions to locally specific problems. Their partners trust them to support initiatives, and carry out the governance and distribution appropriately.
The STOKED Surfing Program continues to run in 2023, teaching young people surfing as a coping strategy for mental health, connecting them to community, and delivering education on mental health and wellbeing.
“STOKED is such an incredible example of a community-led response to a complex, wicked problem. The program is growing and evolving to meet the changing needs of the community, and still underpinned by the core model of yarn, surf, eat. The program, mentors and facilitators have become fixtures in the south west, and we are so proud to have played a small role in helping this all on its way.” Annabel Cussen – Executive Officer, South West Community Foundation
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Community Foundations Australia is keen to hear our members’ stories. If you are a member and would love us to share the great work that you are doing, please get in touch with our Communications Officer, Mandy Beaumont on mandy@cfaustralia.org.au
