Project Overview
Ullapool Stepping Stones Project provided funding to Seaful Vitamin Sea Project to deliver women’s stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) sessions in Lochbroom, Ullapool.
The session was designed to provide a low-barrier opportunity for local women to access blue space activity in a supportive environment with a qualified local instructor (Cal Major for this lesson).
The session formed part of Seaful’s wider work around improving blue spaces, supporting wellbeing and confidence, encouraging connection to coastal / water environments, and creating opportunities for community connection through ocean-based activity.
Participants and Referral Pathways
Women were identified through existing community referral pathways with help from the local Green Health Coordinator (Kirsten Walton) .
The group included women who were experiencing isolation, low confidence, caring responsibilities, or limited access to outdoor wellbeing activities.
Activity Delivery
The introductory SUP session included:
- Free access to paddleboarding equipment and instruction
- A women-only group environment
- Basic paddling instruction and water confidence support
- Time for informal conversation and peer encouragement
- Opportunities to spend time in and around the local marine environment
The session was delivered by a local accredited instructor (Cal Major) who is also the CEO for Seaful.
Outcomes and Participant Reflections
Wellbeing and Confidence
Participants completed simple pre- and post-session reflection forms using a 1–5 scale.
Several participants recorded arriving feeling nervous, stressed or unsure about being on the water. Comments included:
- “Tired, have stress”
- “Worried about balance”
- “Nervous about getting wet”
- “Nervous about the social aspect”
Post-session reflections showed increased wellbeing and confidence scores across the forms received.
One participant recorded their wellbeing score increasing from 2 before the session to 5 afterwards.
Another participant, who described feeling nervous before the session, recorded feeling “relaxed, happy + calm” afterwards and rated their confidence on the water as 5.
Participants also commented:
- “Looking forward to this”
- “Buzzing for the next outing”
- “Absolutely”, when asked whether they would join another session
Community Connection
Participants consistently answered “yes” when asked whether they:
- felt connected to the group
- got to know someone new
- would attend another session
Comments included:
- “Lovely ladies”
- “Everyone was celebrating and cheering on each other”
- “For me being with other women was exactly what I needed”
Connection to the Environment
Participants reflected on what they noticed in the environment during the session.
Comments included:
- “Calm, quiet”
- “Lovely calm beach”
- “The diving shags”
- “The ripples of rain drops on the water”
- “Calming but windy towards end”
These reflections showed participants actively engaging with the surrounding coastal and marine environment during the session.
Learning Points
- Community referrals helped reach women who may not otherwise have accessed the session.
- Free introductory sessions helped reduce barriers to participation.
- The women-only environment created space for social connection and peer encouragement.
- Simple reflection forms provided useful feedback around wellbeing, confidence, community connection and connection to the environment.
- Participants responded positively to spending time in and around blue spaces in a supportive group setting.
Seaful Objectives
The participant feedback gathered supports Seaful’s wider aims around:
- improving wellbeing and confidence through blue space activities
- reducing barriers to accessing the water
- creating supportive community connections
- encouraging connection to coastal and marine environments
The sessions also demonstrated how low-pressure introductions to blue space activities can support participants to feel more comfortable returning to the water in future.
Future Plans
The session has helped inform ongoing discussions around future women’s SUP opportunities in the Lochbroom area and feed directly into a new womens SUP club launching on the 28th May.
Future plans being explored include:
- additional introductory sessions
- opportunities for continued participation
- ongoing partnership working between Seaful, Stepping Stones and local organisations
- continued access to blue space activities for women in the local area
This case study will be updated as new data is received and the SUP club gets underway.
Participant Testimonials (Anonymised)
Participant 1:
“I didn’t even know that I needed that. When I was approached by you (green health co-ordinator) I was a bit hesitant, but something made me say yes. The sessions have not just been a game changer for me but now my partner and I have something to do together. Our weekends and holidays are totally different now I think its because I am so much more confident in myself.”
Participant 2:
“I LOVED that. I know this sounds cheesy but when we got out onto the water we become one. Everyone was celebrating and cheering on each other. For me being with other women was exactly what I needed. To just be me again and spend an hour only thinking about myself and what it feels like to be nervous, and excited and proud. I am buzzing for the next outing. I can believe I might be able to paddle to Isle Martin. I never thought I would be able to do that. It was also really nice to have been asked – that someone was thinking about what I needed…”
For more information contact
Seaful on hello@seaful.org.uk. You can visit Seaful’s website for more information about the work they do.
Kirsten Walton, Green Health Coordinator, Ullapool Stepping Stones Project; kirsten@ullapoolcommunity.org
Stepping Stones Partnership & Funding acknowledgment
Ullapool Stepping Stones is a partner project lead by The Ullapool and Lochbroom Development Trust and NHS Highland, it aims to improve wellbeing through pathways into nature-based activities and involves many local partners. The project received two years of funding support from The Whole Family Wellbeing Programme, through Element 2: Collaborative Partnership Locality funds.
