Student education instructors , and building brilliant rapport with our service users to support them in their journey with us .
Student education instructors , and building brilliant rapport with our service users to support them in their journey with us .
‘ They ’ ve been open to understanding how we support young people already , including the data gathering , the use of visual timetables and personalised surf mentor and young person pairings . They ’ ve also been able to identify ways that we could improve our service and articulate clear pathways to delivering that , which is really helpful .
‘ They ’ ve been a huge help in the advocacy of and fundraising for our service . They ’ ve engaged with local schools , businesses and other charities to do this , and I hope they recognise how important their work has been to our small charity during their time with us .
‘ I hope that their placement with us has given them a thorough understanding of working in a charity sector organisation , and has inspired them to go out and do good work in their chosen field in the future .’
The final narrative is that of one of the surfers , who said : ‘ Initially , I thought the main benefits would be psychological , rather than physical . Given my limited movement in my legs , due to spinal cord damage and restrictions in my trunk from long rods in my back , I assumed I would be mostly passive on the board . How wrong I was …
‘ Even sitting on the board was a challenge that required recruiting many smaller stabilising muscles to maintain balance and respond to the board ’ s movements . The volunteers made it possible for me to attempt and achieve seemingly impossible movements , such as getting back on the board in the sea .
‘ The fun with the volunteers and the engaging environment made me unaware of how much work I was doing . I believe the session helped my nerves reconnect with muscles my body had forgotten existed .
‘ The surfing session was incredibly emotionally beneficial for me . As someone who faces significant medical challenges daily , my life often revolves around managing symptoms , rather than truly living . Being frequently confined to bed , dealing with joint pain , migraines , severe abdominal discomfort and nausea , has drained my life spirit [ but ] the surfing reignited a spark in me , making me feel emotions I hadn ’ t experienced in years – freedom , achievement , and joy .’
The surfer also had a powerful message for the volunteers : ‘ Were you one of the people who helped me transfer into the beach wheelchair , or who pushed me down to the sea ? Were you one of the people who dragged the surfboard trolley across the beach ? Or were you someone who caught my eye , smiled and helped me feel relaxed ?
‘ Did you distract me with a bit of light-hearted banter so I did not focus on the huge amount of work that was going into making the session so much fun and a success ? Were you one of the people who helped launch my board onto a wave , or who surfed with me ?
‘ Or were you the one who stopped my board from beaching and tipping me in ? Did you help me get on the board and help move my legs round ? Did you tell me when my weight was to one side , or too far along the board ? Did you catch me when I rolled off ? Or help steady the board so I could get back on again ?
‘ Did you run back and forwards to the beach to get different wedges and cushions for me ? Or did you give your time up to capture the memories by taking photographs and videos ?
‘ Did you feel like the session could have happened whether you were there or not . That you didn ’ t have an important part to play in the day ? Please don ’ t feel like that . I saw you . You all made my day . You made me feel safe , excited and like I had achieved something .
‘ Whatever the role was that you played in my session , it was just as vital as any of the other roles – you had just as much impact as everyone else .’
Sue believes that this feedback demonstrates the value of occupation and how ‘ it is so much more than the sum of its parts ’. She concludes : ‘ It identifies the physical , cognitive , perceptual , psychological and psycho-social nature of occupation , which , in this case , is surfing . The therapeutic value of the occupation , plus the holistic nature of the session , are also highlighted .
‘ We hope that the links between occupational therapy and surf therapy , and ongoing recognition of the value of contemporary placements , have supported the ideas that this will be one of many of this type of placement .
‘ Lizzie and Caoimhe have generated resources that can be used across The Wave Project family in all locations , plus the placement has shown how occupational therapy and surf therapy align . For Lizzie and Caoimhe , it ’ s hoped that their connections with the project will endure and they will continue to explore and use sport and nature-based therapies in their future practice .’
Words CAOIMHE BYRNE and ELIZABETH SLATER , third year students , and LAURA QUICK , Senior Lecturer , at the University of the West of England , SUE HILSDON , Independent Long-arm Supervisor , IAN BENNETT , Adaptive Lead , and JAS BENNETT , North Devon Co-ordinator , The Wave Project . Visit www . waveproject . co . uk
November 2024 OTnews 49