Empowering Young People through Sailing
Create Opportunity. Change the OUTCOME.
Your donation today creates life‑changing opportunities for young people across Australia.
Amount Raised
Empowering Young People through Sailing
When You Give Opportunity, You Create CHANGE
Your donation today creates life‑changing opportunities for young people across Australia.
Amount Raised
Empowering Young People through Sailing
Opportunity Changes EVERYTHING
Your donation today creates life‑changing opportunities for young people across Australia.
Amount Raised
Empowering Young People through Sailing
When You Give Opportunity, You Create CHANGE
Your donation today creates life‑changing opportunities for young people across Australia.
Help Us Reach Our Goal - $250,000
The Impact
How you've helped
For many of these young people, Making Waves is the first time they’ve ever been invited to participate, to belong, to feel capable sailing — and to see a future they didn’t know was possible.
In 2025 we raised $250k thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. With this funding our programs provided life‑changing experiences to more than 5,200 young people living with disability, experiencing disadvantage, or feeling disengaged from school and community. We commenced new programs in Melbourne, Brisbane and Newcastle and one of the standout moments of the year was watching 18‑year‑old Brad Hoppen, a graduate of our Wright of Passage program, complete the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Brad’s journey from a young person seeking direction to a sailor taking on one of the world’s toughest ocean races is a powerful reminder of what your support makes possible.
With your support this EOFY, we plan to:
Support 7,000 young participants across Australia
Deliver our full program suite across five permanent ports
Establish a new program base
in Canberra, expanding our reach into the ACT
Introduce even more young people to the sport of sailing
— many for the very first time
Impact
Our Stories
Jeff’s Story
A Volunteer Who Sees Change Every Day
Across all our programs, volunteers like Jeff Lewis are the heartbeat of Making Waves.
Jeff works closely with students from Bidwell High School through our Winds of Joy program — a program designed to build confidence, teamwork and resilience in young people who need it most.
Jeff often says that what he sees on the water isn’t just skill‑building — it’s transformation. Young people who arrive quiet, unsure or disconnected leave standing taller, speaking louder, and believing in themselves in a way they didn’t before.
That’s the power of change. And your funds make that change possible.
Stories
Evander's Story
Changing Lives Through Winds Of Change
In Queensland, real change begins with opportunity.
As part of our End of Financial Year campaign, this video shares the voices behind the impact. We hear from Evander, a participant in our Winds of Change program, alongside Terry Sedgewick, a dedicated teacher from Jabiru Community College, and long‑time volunteer skipper Steve McGuire.
Together, they reflect on the difference Making Waves programs make — building confidence, connection and capability through sailing. Terry speaks to the lasting value the program delivers for her students, while Steve shares why volunteers play such a critical role in creating safe, supportive spaces for young people to grow.
This is the impact your support makes possible — helping young people feel they belong and believe in their future.
Newcastle
Changing Lives Through Winds Of Joy
In Newcastle, change begins on the water.
As part of our 2026 End of Financial Year campaign, we head to our Newcastle port to hear from the people who bring Making Waves to life — our volunteers and educators working alongside young people through our Winds of Joy program.
Filmed aboard our program yacht JOY, this video features Making Waves Foundation volunteers Bronwen, Lawrence and Greg Pugh, alongside Natasha Brown from Hunter River Community School. Together, they share what they see firsthand — young people arriving unsure, then leaving with confidence, connection and belief in themselves.
From the steady presence of volunteers to the impact felt back in the classroom, this is what opportunity looks like when young people are invited to belong.
Your support this EOFY helps us continue delivering free, inclusive sailing experiences across Australia — reaching more schools, more communities, and more young people who need it most.
Savannah and Ellison's Story
Changed Lives Through Wright Of Passage
This year in Geelong, the Wright of Passage program has welcomed a powerful milestone — our first female participants, Savannah and Ellison (both 16 years of age)
Ellison joined the program seeking a new challenge, something hands-on and completely outside her comfort zone. Since starting, she has embraced every opportunity to learn, grow, and step into a space that is building both skills and confidence day by day.
Savannah, who joined the program last year, has been a consistently committed and conscientious participant. This year, she’s also experiencing something special — having another young woman alongside her in the workshop, adding connection, encouragement, and shared experience to the journey.
Together, their stories reflect what Wright of Passage is all about — opportunity, resilience, teamwork, and confidence built through doing.
Tricia's Story
Changing Lives In Sydney
Out of the classroom and onto the water — this is where transformation begins.
Through the Winds of Joy Sydney program, young people are given the opportunity to step into something completely new. Onboard, they learn to work as a team, take the helm, and begin to see their own potential in a different light.
For dedicated volunteer Tricia Rubenstein, these moments are why she continues to show up. She’s seen firsthand how powerful it is when students are trusted, supported, and given space to grow — building confidence, connection, and belief with every session.
Out on the water, teamwork becomes everything. As a crew, participants learn to rely on one another, communicate, and step into new roles. And in doing so, they begin to rewrite their own stories — discovering what they’re capable of beyond the classroom.
This is what Winds of Joy is all about — real experiences that create lasting change.
Bradley's Story
Changing Lives Through Building Boats
Bradley Hoppen is a proud graduate of the Wright of Passage Boat Building Program, and his journey has become a powerful example of what can unfold through the Winds of Inspiration pathway with the Making Waves Foundation.
From building boats with his own hands to stepping into offshore sailing, Brad has grown through every stage of the program. One of the defining moments of his journey was becoming skipper and crossing the finish line of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a life-changing milestone that reflects his growth, confidence, and capability.
Along the way, Brad has completed two full boat builds, developed strong teamwork and communication skills, and discovered a genuine passion for life on the water. Now at 19, he is continuing his journey by working on boats at home and staying closely connected to the marine industry he loves.
For his mum, Mary Hoppen, the experience has been equally transformative. Watching her son step into opportunities he truly wanted, grow in confidence, and find direction has been life-changing. As Mary reflects, “Providing my child with opportunities to engage in things that he actually wants to… it’s been mind-blowing.”
This is what Winds of Inspiration with the Making Waves Foundation is all about — creating pathways, building confidence, and supporting young people and their families through real, hands-on experiences that change lives.
Making Waves Foundation Board Members
Board Members Amberley Brady, Alexander (Sandy) Grant and David Preston speak about why they are involved with Making Waves Foundation, and the incredible change they continue to see in participants throughout our programs.
From confidence and connection, to leadership, teamwork and a renewed sense of belonging — these stories are why we do what we do.
As part of our 2026 EOFY Campaign, we invite you to help us continue creating life-changing opportunities for young people across Australia.
Nasha's Story
Changed Lives Through Wright of Passage
Through the Making Waves Foundation Wright of Passage program in Sydney, Nasha Packles has gained far more than practical skills on the water and in the workshop — he has discovered confidence, connection, communication, and a true sense of belonging.
Given the opportunity to learn hands-on and take real responsibility, he has grown significantly throughout the program, building teamwork, resilience, and belief in himself along the way.
In this video, his mum, Naomi, shares heartfelt reflections on the transformative impact the program has had on her son, and the positive changes she’s witnessed firsthand.
Get On Board
When you donate before June 30, you’re not just giving a gift — you’re creating opportunity, confidence and belonging for young people who need it most.
Together, we can continue to grow, reach more communities, and change more lives.
Amount Raised
Matter
Why your EOFY donation matters
Your support today helps us:
Expand programs into more schools and communities
Maintain and operate our fleet of yachts and dinghies
Deliver hands‑on boat‑building and mentoring programs
Train and support our incredible volunteers
Provide free, inclusive sailing experiences to thousands of young people
Every donation — big or small — helps a young person feel seen, supported and capable of more than they ever imagined.