When two of my closest friends tried to persuade me to join them riding the Dulux London Revolution, I was certain that I wanted to use it as a fundraising opportunity. I figured that if I'm going to put myself through the pain of riding 250km over two days, some sort of long lasting benefit should come from it.

Why did I choose "The Wave Project"? My cousin is mum of two boys with complex needs. These are her words:



"When the world is a confusing place and you feel like a square peg in a round hole, being able to access any activity in the community can be really difficult. Not so with The Wave Project.

Both my boys struggle to be accepted for who they are, but The Wave Project volunteers freely gave their time to share their passion for surfing with them and offered them a wholly positive experience. My eldest was keen to get in the water but struggling with sensory overload. The volunteers met him as an individual and provided him with smiles and encouragement throughout - something he rarely experiences in the community. My youngest is reluctant to try any new activity, yet the same wonderful volunteers gently supported him to far exceed my expectations. He went from, "I am not doing it, I am not going", to being in the sea, on the board and asking "When can I come back?"  Both felt a sense of achievement, were fully included and totally accepted.

The surfing was lovely but The Wave Project is more than just fun in the water. They use surfing as a vehicle to provide a totally supportive experience in social and mental health and well-being. You simply cannot put a price on self-worth - feeling that you can achieve and succeed, just like everyone else.

Society could learn a lot from how The Wave Project treats vulnerable children."

I can't think of a better cause to ride for.

I know that seeing my sponsorship total rising will spur me on in my training and keep the pedals moving during the ride in September.

Thank you!

Kevin

P.S. Here's the standard blurb....

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.