Welcome to our new venture! 💙

A charity based on enhancing the wellness of individuals through access to blue space activities.

When I started up Paddle Bliss Nairn it was always in my mind and heart to provide an accessible service for my local community. Recovery from the pandemic was a huge part of the reason why I started the business. I wanted to use knowledge gained from my previous work with NHS Highland to set up a referral system so that individuals who were struggling could access my services for free.

Operating as a business for the first year and learning more about how funding applications/charities work I realised I was going to have to set up a separate organisation. Then Ali Garrow of Moray Kayaking got in touch with me at the start of this year to chat about what I was offering and what his plans were and we both soon realised we had a very similar vision and so we decided to team up to make this dream a reality. Ali’s extensive work with Police Scotland and his most recent venture Paddlewell supports the wellness of police officers who may be experiencing PTSD/trauma through their role.

We’re bringing our skills and knowledge together to create this not for profit organisation, our mission is to support the wellbeing of those who prioritise the well being of others ahead of their own.

We've been working hard this whole year doing our research, networking and making connections. We now have support from Nairn Healthcare Group, Fire and Ambulance Services who all want this to happen. These vital services will be able to refer staff and patients to our service to then have their needs/wishes met via access to outdoor water sports such as paddleboarding and kayaking and incorporating wellness sessions too.

We hope that you’ll all support us in making this happen so that we can give back to our community by means of providing free blue space activities.

Leeanne, Ali, Jane and Chris