Parents champion the role of MK Dons Community Trust and its Kellogg’s Football Camps

Parents of football mad youngsters in Milton Keynes are championing the role sport has on transforming lives and developing key skills and confidence following a bumper summer.

Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust – the football club’s official charity – welcomed scores of male and female players to its popular Kellogg’s Football Camps delivered at Tattenhoe Sports Pavillion through August.

The camps engage participants of all playing abilities with booking costs used to fund the charity’s wider work to inspire positive change and make a lasting impact on people’s lives. More than one thousand total attendances were registered this summer across 24 days of delivery.

Among this year’s group was 10-year-old goalkeeper Ram.

The Dons fan had not previously attended one of the charity’s Kellogg’s Football Camps, and was blown away when first-team goalkeepers Craig MacGillivray, Connal Trueman, Tom Finch and Seb Stacey delivered their own session to a small group of aspiring shot-stoppers.

Ram’s mother Bhavika has seen her son’s confidence between the sticks and mixing with new people transform since, and encouraged others to get involved with the charity’s holiday sessions when they resume in October.

“Ram is the best version of himself when he’s playing football,” said Bhavika.

“He loves being a goalkeeper, going to Stadium MK to support MK Dons and watching matches at home on the TV – he’s football mad!

“When it comes to playing and training, though, he can be anxious. For any child, meeting new people, visiting a facility you’ve not been to before and working with new coaches can be a little daunting.

“It’s why making Ram feel comfortable from the very beginning is so important, and the team at MK Dons Community Trust did just that.

“He immediately built a connection with the coaches who asked him lots of questions without being too overwhelming to build some common ground – it was amazing.

“Spending this summer on the charity’s Kellogg’s Football Camps has done his confidence the world of good, and he’s already looking forward to going back in October for the half-term sessions.”

Ram was part of a group of goalkeepers which signed-up to the charity’s dedicated goalkeeper sessions.

They were put through their paces by the club’s first-team keepers, with Bhavika confirming their attendance made a lasting impression. 

“He was so surprised and happy to meet the first-team goalkeepers,” said Bhavika. “Ram is really passionate about his goalkeeping, and the whole team made him feel good about his progression.

“It makes matchdays that bit more special for him too, because he can relate to the players he sees on the pitch.”

Reflecting on his summer with MK Dons Community Trust, Ram said: “Everyone was so friendly at the camps, the coaches were brilliant and made me feel very settled and happy.

“Come on MK Dons!”

Further information about MK Dons Community Trust and its work to build better communities in Milton Keynes by harnessing the power of football is available via www.mkdonsset.com.