The West Cornwall Youth Trust has awarded a £2,500 grant to The Wave Project Surf Club to help its members keep active throughout the winter.

The grant will be spent on a series of water activities for club members, including cold water surfing, pool swimming and balance work on Cornwall’s artificial wave, the Flowrider.

Wave Project chief executive Joe Taylor said: “Our members are all young people who have already overcome massive hurdles to take up surfing. The surf club enables them to make new friends and take part in a sport they love.

“But during winter, it becomes more difficult for them to go surfing as many of the surf schools close. For our members this can leave a massive gap in their lives at the most difficult time of year for them.

“This grant from West Cornwall Youth Trust enables members to stay active and keep in touch with each other through surfing and Flowriding. It helps them build friendships and improve their personal and social skills.

“We are very grateful to the Trust for this generous grant which will help over 100 young people in Cornwall.”

The Wave Project surf club has been running since March 2012 and now has over 100 members, all of whom have had to face exceptional challenges in their lives such as bereavement, anxiety issues, disability or problems at school.

Malcolm Woolcock, from the West Cornwall Youth Trust, said: “We are pleased to be supporting The Wave Project once again this winter. The surf club is clearly having a very positive effect on some of Cornwall’s most disadvantaged young people.”