SurfABLE Scotland feels like it has won twice through being a P&J Community Fund charity partner – with the huge sum of money received and the boost to its profile in the north and north-east.
The Moray-based surf therapy project by Friendly Access shared a pot of more than £126,000 raised by our readers and local businesses this year.
SurfABLE Scotland has used its £25,249.95 from our fund to help subsidise lessons for hundreds of people living with disabilities.
Glyn Morris, CEO of Friendly Access and co-founder of the SurfABLE Scotland project, said the “overwhelming” thrill of being a charity partner is a match for any big wave in the North Sea.
Mr Morris said: “What a trip it’s been.
“The charity has benefited hugely on multiple levels.
“The incredible amount raised has been huge for the charity.
“It’s enabled us to subsidise the sessions throughout the whole year and put so much energy that might have been otherwise put into fundraising to our sessions.
“For people to have the reassurance that we can continue the work of the charity is insanely good.”
On Monday we launched our search for two new charity partners for 2025/26.
And Mr Morris is urging organisations to go for it and nominate themselves today.
He said: “The work of any charity is important and having the exposure that the Press and Journal can give its readers is a win-win situation because it lets the public know they exist.
“I can’t recommend getting behind the P&J enough and fingers crossed for the next charities who are selected in the process.”
Thanks to that profile boost, SurfABLE Scotland is looking forward to the future.
The programme first took to the waves in 2017 with the intention of providing access to surf therapy for everyone aged five and above, regardless of disability and condition.
As well as supplying accessible workshops, SurfABLE Scotland works in partnership with Active Schools (Moray) to deliver structured swimming lessons and pool surf sessions at Forres and Lossiemouth pools for children and young adults with additional support needs.
Over the next seven years, the charity intends on driving forward its goal to build Scotland’s first dedicated surf therapy centre.
This includes providing services such as two changing place toilets, fully equipped with adult changing tables and hoists, to accommodate its users when changing in and out of wetsuits.
In 2023, this newspaper marked its 275th year of serving communities across the north and north-east by launching the P&J Community Fund.
We revealed on Monday how our generous army of readers helped raise more than £126,000 this year for our five charity partners – Friends of Anchor, Save Bon Accord Baths, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), SurfABLE Scotland and Munlochy Animal Aid.
Now the search is on for two new charity partners for the next two years.
Charities have until midnight on Monday December 16 to nominate themselves to be in with a chance of benefiting from money raised for The P&J Community Fund in 2025/26.
Organisations can apply online here.
Craig Walker, editor of The Press and Journal, said: “We’re looking forward to finding our new charity partners who we’ll work with over the next two years to help promote the great work they do and raise as much money as possible.”
Conversation