A sunny beach day for all at Ocean Grove

MORE than 240 Disabled Surfers Association (DSA) Ocean Grove volunteers took to the town’s main beach on Sunday to guide surfers of all abilities through the water.

For the past decade, the not-for-profit group has committed itself to hosting inclusive seaside events where people with a disability can experience the excitement of riding a wave.

DSA Ocean Grove secretary Nick Ansell said the day was a great success.

“It was a really solid day in that the event ran a little longer than what our events normally do because of the numbers.

“The volunteers kept giving and giving, and that was demonstrated very late in the piece when people hung around to help Selene, who’s a quadriplegic, into the water.”

He said despite the group receiving no formal funding, the generous support from the community and DSA volunteers ensured the continuation of events.

“It can make things challenging, but we’ve been really lucky with the generous support we’ve received from the community over the whole time we’ve been going.

“The vast majority of our volunteers are locals, but there’s a reasonable percentage that come from Geelong, Ballarat, Melbourne and Mornington.”

Mr Ansell thanked the volunteers and surfers for their efforts.

“It’s a real privilege to be able to share in that experience for people who can’t easily get to the beach or the water themselves.”

DSA Ocean Grove will now turn its attention to fundraising for new equipment over the off season, while also upgrading volunteer training.