The Wave Project has received over £177,000 from the Big Lottery in the latest round of funding in the South West, one of only two Cornish projects to receive the money.

The Wave project was started in 2010 by a group of surfers who wanted to use surfing to help young people suffering from mental health problems like stress and depression. The project works with children and young people from Cornwall and North Devon. A pilot study funded by the NHS allowed 20 young people to take part in the programme, which found that surfing once a week increased confidence, gave the young people a more positive outlook and most importantly, a sense of fun!

Since the pilot, the project has been funded by BBC Children in Need, the Tudor Trust and Cornwall Council. However this boost from the Big Lottery will certainly increase its impact. Joe Taylor, project coordinator told the BBC, "We're absolutely delighted to get this funding and for a project like ours it is a game changing award. It's going to help turn our small project into something more substantial that will have a big impact. It will make a big difference to a lot of people".

The Wave Project's most recent report evaluates the effects of several surfing projects for adults with learning disabilities. Read the full report here.