Making Waves Foundation

18/06/2026

🙌🏼⛵️💫 VR Sailing Test 001 – Complete!

Today the Making Waves team stepped aboard our new Virtual Reality Sailing Experience, powered by MarineVerse⁠. MarineVerse

First up was our On-Water Operations Manager, Wendy Tuck. One of the world’s most accomplished sailors, and we’re pleased to report she can sail in the virtual world too! 😉

Joined by State Managers Natasja McClay, Natalie Herity and Jeff Young, we’re continuing to refine this exciting program ahead of rollout across NSW, QLD and VIC.

The goal? To help more young people living with disability or experiencing disadvantage build confidence and sailing skills in a safe, accessible environment before stepping onto the water.

Huge thanks to Shane Greaves and Greg Dziemidowicz for helping bring this vision to life.

Interested in supporting the future of accessible sailing? Get in touch:[email protected]

ComingSoon ⛵️💙

17/06/2026

This is our final call to rally support for the Making Waves EOFY 2026 campaign.

We exist to create life-changing sailing experiences for young people living with disability or experiencing disadvantage—building confidence, connection, independence and hope through time on the water.

Every sail we run is powered by volunteers. Every program is made possible by donors. And every dollar raised goes directly into getting more young people out on the water, learning skills, building resilience, and discovering what they’re capable of.

This EOFY campaign is about one clear objective:
to expand access to our programs and increase the number of young people we can reach across Australia.

Your support helps us:

Put more young people on the water through our programs like Winds of Joy and Wright of Passage
Train and support our volunteers who make every experience possible
Expand our reach into more communities and schools
Deliver safe, inclusive, and transformational sailing experiences

We are so close to EOFY—and every contribution now has immediate impact.

If you’ve been thinking about supporting us, this is the moment.

Donate. Share. Be part of creating real change.

🔗 https://makingwaves.au/eofy-campaign-2026/

Together, we don’t just go sailing—we change lives

16/06/2026

A huge thank you to Club Marine Insurance for sharing the news of our first girls in Wright of Passage program in Geelong (VIC), proudly delivered at the Western Beach Boat Club and funded by the Geelong Community Foundation.

We’re also excited to share that in the coming weeks, Making Waves Foundation and Club Marine will be announcing a new partnership supporting the Wright of Passage program.

Together, we share a commitment to expanding access to maritime skills, hands‑on learning and trade‑based pathways — helping grow the next generation of talent for Australia’s maritime sector.

At Making Waves, we’re proud to provide inclusive opportunities for disadvantaged young people to learn practical skills, build confidence and discover their potential.

Learn more about the Wright of Passage program:
https://makingwaves.au/programs/wright-of-passage

Speaking of Women in the Maritime Sector it's great to see Tracy Souris celebrated as the first female chair of the Boating Industry Association Ltd. in the same edition of the magazine.

If you would like to volunteer, partner, or set up a new Wright of Passage Program please reach out to me: [email protected]

15/06/2026

15/06/2026

HOW TO GET INVOLVED with the Making Waves Sydney Regatta on October 9th at the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia???
1. SAVE THE DATE
2. Enter your yacht, or purchase a sail and after party ticket with friends, family, employees, clients OR
3. Donate to our Auction or Raffle!

Sign up using this link:

Making Waves Foundation’s (MWF) Annual Charity Regatta on Friday 9 October is guaranteed to be a fun day on Sydney Harbour where winning is not the main goal. All money raised goes straight to MWF, a mostly volunteer-run […]

14/06/2026

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 💙⛵

From every port, every program, every participant, every volunteer, every board member, every staff member, every family, and every partnering school — thank you.

To our donors, sponsors, supporters, and partners: it is because of you that Making Waves Foundation exists and continues to grow.

Your support makes it possible to open doors that otherwise would not exist. It gives young people a step up, a sense of belonging, and access to opportunities that can genuinely transform the direction of their lives.

Across our sailing programs, inclusive experiences, boat building, mentoring, and offshore racing campaigns, we see the same story unfold again and again — confidence grows, isolation turns into connection, and uncertainty turns into purpose.

You are part of every one of those stories.

Thank you for believing in what is possible. 💙⛵

To support our 2026 EOFY Campaign, please visit:
https://makingwaves.au/eofy-campaign-2026/

11/06/2026

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 💙⛵

From every port, every program, every participant, every volunteer, every board member, every staff member, every family, and every partnering school — thank you.

To our donors, sponsors, supporters, and partners: it is because of you that Making Waves Foundation exists and continues to grow.

Your support makes it possible to open doors that otherwise would not exist. It gives young people a step up, a sense of belonging, and access to opportunities that can genuinely transform the direction of their lives.

Across our sailing programs, inclusive experiences, boat building, mentoring, and offshore racing campaigns, we see the same story unfold again and again — confidence grows, isolation turns into connection, and uncertainty turns into purpose.

You are part of every one of those stories.

Thank you for believing in what is possible. 💙⛵

To support our 2026 EOFY Campaign, please visit:
https://makingwaves.au/eofy-campaign-2026/

09/06/2026

The Frankston Mornington Careers & Pathways Expo in Mount Martha is underway! ⛵️

We are looking for aspiring boatbuilders to join our program, to develop practical trade and life skills.

08/06/2026

BRISBANE | Sandy Grant and David Preston speak to the life-changing impact of inclusion through Making Waves Foundation programs. 💙⛵

As Skipper of Winds of Joy and Winds of Change in Brisbane, Sandy Grant has seen firsthand how giving participants a meaningful role onboard can completely transform their confidence, mindset, and sense of belonging.

What often begins with nerves and uncertainty quickly shifts into excitement, contribution, teamwork, and pride. Participants are not simply taken sailing — they are welcomed into a team, given responsibility, supported through the journey, and encouraged to step up in ways they may never have experienced before.

Making Waves Foundation Board Member David Preston also shares the importance of creating opportunities that genuinely uplift young people and leave a lasting impact well beyond the water.

Together, these programs continue to create connection, confidence, purpose, and meaningful change in the lives of participants and their families.

To support more young people through Making Waves Foundation programs and make a donation to our 2026 EOFY Campaign, please visit:
https://makingwaves.au/eofy-campaign-2026/