Kids Plus program thrives in fifth year

AN ALL abilities surf education program hosted in conjunction with Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club is teaching children ocean skills in a therapeutic way.

Since 2018, the Kids Plus and Jan Juc SLSC partnership program has been based out of Fisherman’s Beach in Torquay, and provides allied-heath services for people that have disabilities.

 

Earlier this week, the volunteer run program allowed children to get out on the beach and experience paddle boarding, swimming and the joys of jetskis courtesy of Torquay Marine Rescue.

Event organiser and former Jan Juc SLSC president Steve Jewson said the club was thrilled to have the program up and going for the 20 participants who took part.

 

“The program is part of the Kids Plus summer offering, where the kids come down with their osteopaths and physios for ocean rehab.

“Some kids are in a wheelchair; some are nonverbal and others may have disabilities like cerebral palsy.

“It’s about getting them onto the sand to have a different experience and to get them on the board and swimming.

“With the wheelchair bound children, we are lucky enough to use our chairs supplied by Variety and then we also have a mixture of G-Boards and rescue boards that we get them out on.

“Fishermans Beach gives us some stability to run and we don’t have to worry about conditions.

“The last three years we’ve also had the privilege of working with Torquay Marine Rescue and Torquay Angling Club who let us use their facilities but also take the kids and their mentors out on the jetskis, which they love!”

 

He said the program ran in alignment with the Starfish Nippers program which has just concluded for the second year running.

Through participating in the Kids Plus program, a handful of children have been able to then progress into the Starfish Nippers offering.

Jewson thanked the number of volunteers both from Kids Plus and from the Jan Juc SLSC who continue to keep the program afloat.

“People aren’t fully aware of what the surf clubs provide to the community, all they might see is lifeguards, boats and skis,” he said.

“It’s all about our volunteers, it’s that extension of community service that the surf clubs supply.”