“Funability” sports sessions get Hartlepool youngsters moving again after a year in the hall

The funability sessions, held every Thursday at the Brierton Sports Center, focus on children with special needs and show how the teens try different sports each week while making new friends.

Football, netball and dodgeball are available and there is also an opportunity to suggest sports that they might want to try.

Parents are welcome to stay and watch, and the sessions are free.

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Vic Weighill enjoys a rough and tumble with Oliver Coraigan, Isaac Harland and Izabelle Berry during the funability session at the Brierton Community Sports Center.

Vic Weighill, who leads and organizes the sessions, said, “It’s a safe environment for them to take the kids with them and try lots of different things.

“We change it every few weeks so that they really try and benefit from every other sport.”

“There isn’t really much of a competitive element as long as the kid is having fun and participating, that’s for the best.

“It also makes them burn some steam.”

Isaac Harland has fun during the funability session at the Brierton Community Sports Center.

The sessions, which have been running for nearly 10 years, had to be digitized during the last two locks before restarting in person on April 1st.

“There is an opportunity for people to ask if there is a certain type of sport or something they enjoy. We could try to include that in the sessions as well.

“It’s a chance for people to come along and do some sports and exercise that they may not have been able to before.”

Jessica Ingham with Isaac Harland, Oliver Coraigan and Izabelle Berry during the funability session.

There are sessions for elementary and secondary school children and each session lasts up to an hour.

Jessica continued, “The pandemic has forced children to stay indoors and do lots of things on the computer.

“It’s a chance for people to get out 45 minutes – hour a week – and make new friends.”

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Hartlepool’s father is transforming a shed into a pub themed “monkey hangers” in honor of the town …Joe Johnson, Jessica Ingham and Vic Weighill chair the funability session with Izabelle Berry, Isaac Harland and Oliver Coraigan.

She added, “In the first session I went to, the children could be seen coming out of their shells.

“They were a little nervous and didn’t want to do certain things, but now these kids are friends because they met every week for a few weeks.”

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Izabelle Berry cheers as she enjoys the funability session.Oliver Coraigan breaks free during the funability session at the Brierton Community Sports Center.