Windsurfing for Wellbeing: Recognising Coastal Champions at The OTC!

How a nurturing programme is transforming young lives at sea – and earning well-deserved recognition.

The Dorset Coast Forum is celebrating 30 years of coastal community engagement in 2025, and what better way to mark the occasion than by shining a spotlight on the incredible people making a difference along our shores. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Forum launched its Coastal Champions exhibition – a heartfelt showcase of individuals and organisations going above and beyond for our coastlines and the people who live beside them.

Among the 18 champions nominated is a truly inspiring figure – Kerry, and the Wellbeing Windsurfing programme she runs at The Official Test Centre (OTC). Her work, supporting disadvantaged and anxious children through watersports, has earned her well-deserved recognition as one of the region’s Coastal Champions. And if you’ve ever witnessed her sessions in action, you’ll know why.

By Emma Maguire.

Bincombe Primary School all smiles after their wellbeing session at The OTC!

Accessing the Coast – and Confidence

It’s all too easy to assume that living near the sea means enjoying it. But as one local headteacher explained Leif Pallister from Bincombe Valley Primary School, for many children – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – access to the coast is limited or even non-existent.

That’s where the Wellbeing Windsurfing programme comes in.

Designed as a nurturing and supportive space, Kerry’s sessions offer small groups of children the opportunity to get out on the water, challenge themselves, and grow in ways traditional classrooms can’t always facilitate. Whether it’s overcoming anxiety, learning to swim, or simply finding their voice, the transformation in these young people is nothing short of extraordinary.

“You see improvements in skill level, confidence, communication – all within weeks,” said the headteacher. “It’s testament to Kerry and the OTC team that these children are thriving.”

Time on the water is transformative for young people.

The Sea as a Classroom

The programme isn’t just about windsurfing – it’s about empowerment. The children face the elements, work as a team, and develop resilience in a setting that is both calming and challenging. One minute they’re nervous and withdrawn; a few sessions later, they’re confidently navigating choppy waters with wind in their sails – literally and metaphorically.

“There’s a sort of steely reserve that grows in them,” said the teacher. “You might not see it in test results, but it shows in who they’re becoming.”

It’s not always possible to take the classroom to the sea – but these sessions prove what’s possible when we bring the sea to the heart of education and wellbeing.

Sailing towards hope, confidence and new horizons!

Recognition and Hope for the Future

Being named a Coastal Champion is a wonderful recognition of the programme’s impact, but it also brings hope – hope that more people will learn about this work, more children will get the chance to participate, and more support (and funding) will help expand its reach.

“It was a no-brainer to nominate Kerry,” said the school. “This programme has opened up opportunities that many children would never have had otherwise.”

The Coastal Champions exhibition will travel to locations along the Dorset coast in 2025, celebrating stories like Kerry’s and raising awareness of the challenges – and potential – within our coastal communities. With photo panels and short films, it’s a chance for the public to see what’s happening behind the scenes and meet the people quietly making waves.

And for the children who’ve learned to stand tall on a board, speak up in a group, or face the wind with confidence – the legacy of this work is only just beginning.

Bincombe Primary School at their final wellbeing windsurfing session

The OTC Windsurfing School Projects Manager, Kerry Knight said: "What a privilege to be nominated for an award and being selected as one of the winners… of course none of this would be possible without the wonderful OTC instructor team who deliver this program with such passion and their nurturing approach.

"Our wonderful children who turn up each week and strive to succeed . Our supportive teachers and of course our funding partners who believe in everything we do and make it possible for these young people to take part in our wellbeing programs."

A special mention and a special thank you to the funding partners The Will Houghton Foundation and the Will Mackaness Trust and The Chesil Sailing Trust and our partnership with the Andrew Simpson Foiundation.

To find out more about the Coastal Champions exhibition and Dorset Coast Forum’s 30th anniversary, click here.

And to support or learn more about Wellbeing Windsurfing at The OTC, click here.

Brighter futures!