Jersey ocean therapy makes a difference - parents

Hundreds of families have benefited from Healing Waves' ocean therapy sessions

Ocean therapy sessions for neurodiverse children run by a Jersey charity are “making a difference”, parents say.

Healing Waves enables individuals with additional physical and neurological needs to access water sports.

Organisers of the charity said they wanted to find ways to ensure Healing Waves had sustainable funding to maintain this support in the long-term.

It has been nominated for the BBC Radio Jersey Make a Difference Awards for the work it has done since being launched in 2017.

Lynne Shenfine's daughter uses Healing Waves' services

Lynne Shenfine said her daughter was diagnosed with autism two years ago and struggled with social anxiety.

She said the volunteers at Healing Waves were “the most incredible group of people” and her daughter “would always come out feeling more confident” after going to the sessions.

“Kids like my daughter really, really benefit from this type of therapy and, without support like this, then it is an isolated life,” Ms Shenfine added.

She was one of the people who nominated the charity for the BBC Radio Jersey Make a Difference Awards.

Moria Ashby said the charity had made "a huge difference" to her family's lives

Moria Ashby’s children are neurodiverse and have benefited from going to Healing Waves for 18 months.

She said the charity “made a huge difference to our lives and many others” and it is “pure joy what they do”, so “they should be recognised for that”.

Ms Ashby added: “You can not really put into words how much it helps to take anxious children who struggle to access the world normally, and the therapy just takes a big weight off them.”

Max Wiltshire helped set up the charity in 2017

Max Wiltshire, from Healing Waves, said the feedback from parents “means so much to us”.

He said it had been a “massive journey” for the charity since it started seven years ago and there is “massive momentum” behind it now.

“Securing our future here in Jersey is of paramount importance to us and we have helped more than 500 families now, so we want to make sure that continues long into the future,” Mr Wiltshire added.

The BBC Radio Jersey Make a Difference Awards winner will be announced in September.

Hundreds of children have accessed ocean therapy sessions at Healing Waves