JH Football School & Coaching, founded two years ago by Wolsingham resident and UEFA qualified coach Jason Howe, provides weekly football sessions for more than 70 boys and girls in rural County Durham. The sessions take place every Friday night on the floodlit 3G pitch at Wolsingham Leisure Centre.
Origins and need in the community
Jason was inspired to start the school after his son Elliott joined a team in Consett, about 12 miles away, which was on the verge of folding. He took over the team and realised that in the rural part of Durham, there were no similar opportunities for local children.
He said: “It all came about a couple of years ago when my son wanted to join a football team. One of the closest was about 12 miles away in Consett. He joined a team which was about to fold and I took that team on and realised that where we live in the rural part of Durham there was nothing for the kids.”
Cost of travel, limited opportunities, and lack of confidence to try out in bigger areas were significant obstacles for many families, preventing children from playing and missing out on social groups and learning that team sports provide.
Inclusive sessions for all ages
Jason decided to use the unused pitch at the leisure centre and started running sessions all year, in all weather. The sessions are divided into three age groups: 5 to 7, 8 to 10, and 11 to 14, with a new group, Little Legends for 2-4 years, launched this year.
Rather than an academy, which Jason felt was unapproachable and elitist, the school focuses on learning and three key principles: Attitude, Respect, and Teamwork. He said: “We do try and instil an attitude of teamwork and respect but it’s not an elitist environment and we are totally inclusive. The three main things are for the children to have fun, make friends and play football all while getting exercise, developing important life skills and building confidence.”
Each age group is divided into mini groups based on skill and size to ensure personalised coaching. Jason is joined by his son Elliott and Karmen as junior coaches, giving individual attention to each child.
Equipment donation from Bellway
As sessions grew in popularity, the need for equipment increased. Jason approached Bellway, which is building homes at The Old Foundry development in the village. The home builder provided almost £500 worth of supplies, including 40 footballs, four foam balls, and four mini-goals for the 5 to 7 age group.
Jason said: “We work within a small budget so having these supplies is going to be a massive help. Equipment comes at such a cost and the balls we have do take a beating. We also needed more mini-goals as we have smaller games on smaller pitches to keep all the kids involved. We have been using cones which serve a purpose but if you ask a child they prefer scoring between a set of cones or into a goal with a net, they’d say into a goal every time.”
Frank Lincoln, Managing Director of Bellway Durham, said: “JH Football School & Coaching provides an invaluable service to children living in Wolsingham and the surrounding villages and the growing popularity of the sessions demonstrates the strong appetite which exists among local youngsters to play the game. As part of our commitment to supporting the local community, we are pleased to make this donation of equipment which will help Jason and his team of coaches to provide opportunities for more young people to get involved in sport, make friends and develop important life skills.”
Bellway is building 120 homes at The Old Foundry, on the former Weardale Steelworks site off Durham Road. As part of the planning agreement, Bellway is investing £234,000 in local infrastructure, including a £224,000 open space contribution to maintain play and recreation space.
The sessions operate on a pay-as-you-play basis, with costs kept as low as possible. Donations from businesses like Bellway and local businesses such as No 10 Café, R S Paws Pristine, and Super Smash Burgers are vital to keep the sessions going. Jason said: “It was great when Bellway came back to us and said they would like to help. I hope they realise how much it means to the kids.”
