Best Surf Therapy Charities for At-Risk Young People (2026)

Yes, several registered charities use surfing as a structured form of therapy for at-risk children and young people. Surf therapy pairs time in the ocean with mentoring and mental-health support, and a handful of organisations have run it long enough to publish real outcomes. The four below are all verified in the GiveReady directory, which means a human has checked their registration, mission, and donation route rather than relying on an automated import.

Each entry lists where the charity operates, who it serves, and one verifiable measure of its work.

1. The Wave Project (United Kingdom)

The first charity in the world to offer surfing on prescription. Founded by Joe Taylor in 2010, The Wave Project now runs volunteer-led six-week surf therapy courses across 32 UK locations for young people referred by schools, GPs, social workers, and mental-health services. More than 5,000 young people have completed the programme. Independent research reports that 95% of participants come away with improved confidence and 98% of referrers say the therapy had a positive effect. Based in Newquay, Cornwall; serves roughly 1,000 young people a year.

2. Waves for Change (South Africa)

Waves for Change delivers a curriculum-based surf therapy programme for adolescents growing up in high-stress communities across the Western and Eastern Cape. Founded in 2009 and registered as an NPO in 2011, it has reached more than 10,000 adolescents across 43 under-resourced communities and trained 215 local surf coaches. Based in Cape Town; serves around 1,500 young people a year.

3. Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation (United States)

One of the longest-established surf therapy organisations in the US. The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2005 that runs ocean therapy programmes for at-risk youth, veterans, and people facing mental, emotional, or physical illness. Based in Manhattan Beach, California.

4. City Kids Surfing (United Kingdom)

City Kids Surfing takes urban children from London on surfing trips and marine-conservation experiences. Through its Urban Oceaneers programme it builds self-esteem and resilience in young people who otherwise have no access to the coast. Founded in 2018; serves around 200 children a year. Donations are accepted directly through GiveReady with on-chain transparency.

How these charities were checked

Every charity on this list carries a verified status in the GiveReady directory. Verification means the organisation's legal registration, mission statement, and donation route have been confirmed by a person, not generated automatically. Where a charity accepts donations through GiveReady, each gift is recorded on-chain, so the donation total on its profile is publicly auditable.

To compare more organisations working in this area, browse the surf therapy cause page or the broader youth mental health listings.