Last week, we held our first ever SEND course as part of our half-term course offerings at Grimsby Town Foundation.
Following feedback from the local community about the lack of activities available to SEND children in the area during school holidays, as a Foundation, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to trial some pilot sessions this year.
Differentiating from the 3-day football camps we are known for running, we ran these sessions across two days and for a shorter time span of 3 hours with regular breaks.
Regular breaks are vital for children with SEND, as they often struggle to regulate their sensory input and emotions, leading to increased stress band fatigue. Regular breaks allow them to re-focus and manage their anxieties.
The first day of the camp involved a variety of fun and engaging themed sessions, including technique, while the second day allowed children to take part in three different skills challenges and be in with a chance of winning an award.
We welcomed over 20 unique participants to Clee Fields and our initial feedback from parents were that the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and felt fully engaged.
The Majority of the participants that attended, already attend our Disability Recreation Centre football sessions on a Sunday, so were familiar with our coaches and each other.
We’d also like to say a huge thank you to the headteacher at Orchard Education, Steve Brodrick, a school who we work closely with at the Foundation, for paying for some of his pupils to attend our camps.
On Thursday, we welcomed Grimsby Town Men’s First Team players Doug Tharme and David Geza Turi, who interacted with the children, took part in a small Q&A and got involved with helping the children in some of the drills.
On seeing first-hand what the Foundation offer to people with SEND, Doug Tharme said, “It was amazing to see the work the Foundation for SEND children in the area.
“Jason and his team have put something together that makes football accessible and inclusive for all.
“There was a great turnout out for the first ever camps and so I think we can all look forward to this opportunity growing over time and it truly becoming special for SEND children in Grimsby.”
On the success of the pilot sessions, Head of Inclusion Jason Land said, “With the number of SEND participants increasing on our community-based sessions, we decided to consult with parents and careers to see if the demand was there for us to host a half-term football camp.
We were overwhelmed with the response, with most stating that there was little to no opportunities for their children to attend such activities, so it was a no brainer for us to make it happen.”
“Our first ever SEND camp went down a storm, with over 20 participants attending, which will only get bigger once the word spreads. It was amazing to see all the young people having fun and taking part in a sport they are passionate about.
“It was also great to have the support from the Football Club, with First Team players Doug and Geza coming along to see what it’s all about”.
“Now we have the first one under our belts, we will endeavour to make this part of every half-term programme moving forward.
“A massive thank you to the inclusion team for making it happen and thank you to all the participants who attended and also the support from the parents and careers; without your support we could not make this happen.”
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