{"id":161544,"date":"2025-05-20T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=161544"},"modified":"2025-05-14T19:35:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T09:35:58","slug":"give-a-little-stoke-to-ocean-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/give-a-little-stoke-to-ocean-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Give a little stoke to Ocean Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOCAL therapeutic surf charity Ocean Mind is launching a new fundraising campaign with aspirations of attracting more donors to support their vital services.<\/p>\n

The organisation’s Give a Little Stoke Campaign has a goal of raising $1,000 in monthly donations or for 100 people to donate $10 each month.<\/p>\n

Ocean Mind is a non-government funded organisation which relies solely on the support of community and donor support.<\/p>\n

Just $10 a month helps cover the cost of gear, transport and mentor training, giving a young person access to a safe, therapeutic surfing environment they may not otherwise have.<\/p>\n

Ocean Mind chief executive officer Ben Wilkinson said 120 young people accessed their programs at no cost to them or their families in 2024.<\/p>\n

“It’s a tough time for families, charities, and businesses and the young people we support are feeling it too.<\/p>\n

“We’ve seen firsthand how important it is to keep providing free programs and support.<\/p>\n

“Giving a little stoke means giving a young person joy, connection, and support when they need it most.”<\/p>\n

The Ocean Mind program has helped young people like Tom deal with their own mental health challenges.<\/p>\n

When Tom first arrived at Ocean Mind aged 15, his first day was filled with hesitation, tears, and uncertainty.<\/p>\n

However, on his very first wave, Tom’s fear melted away. His smile was undeniable as he exclaimed: “That was awesome!”<\/p>\n

By the end of the program, Tom wasn’t just catching waves – he was connecting deeply with his mentors and peers.<\/p>\n

Today, Tom continues to surf with the Ocean Mind Surf Club, a place where he feels safe, supported and empowered.<\/p>\n

Facilitator Jack Balakas encouraged people to give to the campaign and help young people like Tom to experience the stoke.<\/p>\n

“Everyone has their own connection with the ocean,” Mr Balakas said.<\/p>\n

“It’s a place to reset, to connect and have fun in the waves.<\/p>\n

“With this campaign, we’re asking people to share that feeling with a young person who needs it. $10 a month helps keep our programs free and the stoke flowing.”<\/p>\n

To support the campaign, head to oceanmind.org.au\/donate<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOCAL therapeutic surf charity Ocean Mind is launching a new fundraising campaign with aspirations of attracting more donors to support their vital services. The organisation’s Give a Little Stoke Campaign has a goal of raising $1,000 in monthly donations or for 100 people to donate $10 each month. Ocean Mind is a non-government funded organisation […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":161553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-161544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGive a little stoke to Ocean Mind - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Support Ocean Mind\u2019s donation campaign\u2014just $10\/month helps fund free surf therapy programs for youth facing mental health challenges.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/give-a-little-stoke-to-ocean-mind\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Give a little stoke to Ocean Mind - 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