'Surf therapy' is coming to Sidmouth seafront with new weekly beach gatherings led by Jurassic Paddle Sports' Guy Russel and local mental health nurse, Evie Smith.

The first session will take place on Friday, May 31, from 6.30pm and offers anyone struggling with their mental health a welcome space to enjoy sea activities, free of charge.

May is Mental Health Month and OneWave Sidmouth aims to be part of the positive change in the way we regard mental health and to encourage people to open up about their experiences.

Nub News spoke to Guy Russell to discover what prompted this new venture, he said: "I just want to help more people enjoy the beach, keep them safe and show them how to have fun in the sea.

"With OneWave everyone is welcome - you don't have to be a pro surfer or have all your own kit, if you rocked up in a dressing gown you could still come and get involved."

The idea originated in Australia, founded by pro surfer Grant Trebilco. When he was diagnosed with bipolar, the one thing that helped him most was his connection to the ocean and surfing with friends and family.

Using his surfers' analogy of life, that 'one wave is all it takes', OneWave was born. It is a non-profit organisation with the simple aim of making saltwater therapy more accessible.

This creative initiative for generating awareness on mental health issues has since gone global, and now thanks to the efforts and expertise of Guy Russel, along with mental health nurse, Evie Smith, it will be hitting Sidmouth's shoreline at the end of this month.

The events are referred to as 'Fluro Fridays', with people wearing fluorescent colours to represent 'making an invisible issue visible' when it comes to mental health.

It is a visual declaration of the OneWave ethos – to shine a light on the subject and to help shrug any of the stigma and shame attached to it.

Guy said: "The response so far has been amazing and it's not just about helping individuals; if all these people come together and start talking about mental health, then hopefully more people will no longer feel afraid to say when they're not alright."

Check out the OneWave Sidmouth Facebook page for more information.