Nick Hounsfield

The founder of The Wave, Nick spoke to Maggy Blagrove about blue health and the restorative power of water.

About the event

In this first Bristol Distinguished Address Series event of Spring 2025, Nick Hounsfield (Founder of The Wave) and Host, Maggy Blagrove (Founder of Open Minds Active) explored all things Blue Health.

Nick shared his personal journey and vision for The Wave, the first inland surfing destination in the UK, a 26-million litre artificial wave pool powered by solar energy.

Together with Maggy and guest adaptive surfer Stephen Lightbown, the three Speakers shared their fascinating insights about the positive effects that spending time in water can bring – and how more of us can (and should) access the benefits of Blue Health.

About Nick

Nick is the founder of The Wave - a 'slice of the ocean' in a field in Bristol, where anyone and everyone can surf all year round. It brings the physical and mental health benefits of water, waves and nature to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities - from a child stepping on a board for the first time, to a professional training for the Olympics.

The project was 10 years in the making and Nick’s journey from osteopath with £500 and a vision, to making it a £35 million reality, is an inspiring tale of grit and resilience. Nick is on the board of Surfing England and has been particularly involved in supporting and growing the profile of the para-surfing community. This resulted in the English team winning a record number of medals at the World Adaptive Surf Championships and The Wave hosting the English Adaptive Surfing Open competition. Nick was also part of the prestigious UK Sport International Leadership Programme.

About Maggy

Maggy is the director and founder of Open Minds Active CIC, a Bristol-based social impact organisation dedicated to making swim-based activities accessible across Bristol. The organisation helps people connect with nature in blue spaces to enhance mental wellbeing and reduce social isolation.

Maggy holds a Master’s in International Development and has over 20 years of experience in sport and community development. Throughout her career she has led numerous sport-for-social-change initiatives across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ireland and the UK, using physical activity to engage disadvantaged youth and marginalised communities in post-conflict settings. An experienced open water swimmer and coach, Maggy is passionate about tackling health inequalities and enabling more people to access and enjoy the outdoors.

About Stephen

Stephen Lightbown is a Bristol-based poet, children’s author, yoga teacher and adaptive surfer. Stephen uses his poems to give a voice to his disability and is the author of three poetry collections. In 2026 his first children’s picture book will be published. When he's not writing Stephen can be found surfing and is a passionate advocate for the power of blue health. He has represented England twice at the ISA World Para Surf Championships in California and helped Team England to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 World Championships.