We Make Footballers: Milton Keynes

Good luck to all of our coaches (Jai, Zoey, Laura, Henry, Lydia, Toby, Emilija, Lizzie and Josef) who will be receiving their A-Level results this week ⚽️📚🎓

Go smash it guys 💥👍💪

Our name tells you what we aim to do, but it’s what we consciously decide NOT to do that makes a difference, allowing us to help over 6,000 girls and boys of all abilities become the best footballers they can be 👍⚽️🧡


𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗦
🔸 First and foremost, we don’t ever forget that our players are children and that they come to our sessions to have fun
🔸 We don’t put players under any pressure, always offering encouragement and support and creating an environment that removes fear of failure - trying, failing and being able to try again is how we learn
🔸 We don’t turn anyone away - we offer a fully inclusive approach because we believe football is for everyone
🔸 We don’t expect everyone to be a Messi, a Ronaldo, a Bellingham, or a Bonmati - everyone is different and we all develop at different rates and to different levels of ability
🔸 We don’t just focus on the more 'capable' players, we’re here to help everyone become the best footballer they can be
🔸 We don’t believe football is a male only game, we have helped create three very successful all girls teams and nearly 50% of our coaches are female
🔸 We don’t believe that anyone is too old to start playing football, running sessions for 4 to 15 year old girls and boys of all abilities


𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
🔸 We don’t believe success is all about winning; we introduce competitive formats during training and at our camps but it's always about player development and never about winning at all cost
🔸 We don’t run teams because:
▪️ we don't want our coaches to just focus on the 'best players' in an attempt to turn them into a team
▪️ we don't want players to feel under pressure to get into a team
▪️ we don't want players feeling disappointed if they don't get into a team
▪️ we don't need to - we partner with five (soon to be six) clubs across the city to provide a pathway into grassroots football for anyone who wants to play in a team
▪️ we don't want players who already play for a team to think that they can't come to our sessions for additional training - we believe in collaboration not competition

🔸 We don't play against other organisations or clubs or enter players into tournaments (see above RE: teams)
🔸 We don't aim to compete against anyone - we do our thing in our way and happily partner and recommend anyone who shares our philosophy and approach


𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬
🔸 We don’t use venues unless they are safe and secure, and never use open spaces or locations where we are unable to control access
🔸 We don’t ever forget about safety - we have public liability insurance, full risk assessments in place for all venues and all of our coaches (over 16) have Enhanced DBS checks and FA Safeguarding and FA Emergency First Aid certification


𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
🔸 We don't expect players to stay with us forever, many move on to play for teams or to attend other groups which means we’ve done our job by preparing them to take the next step on their football journey; we always wish them well and provide an open door should they ever wish to return
🔸 We don't claim credit for any of our current or ex-players who have been lucky enough to be signed by a pro club - it's fantastic to hear about this, but it's always down to the player's hard work and the support from their families rather than anything that we have done, and besides it's their story to tell not ours


𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚
🔸 We don't turn up unprepared, all of our sessions and camps are meticulously planned well in advance with the right number of coaches and all the required equipment
🔸 We don’t change what we do just to follow the latest trend, our session format, philosophy and approach is what makes us who we are
🔸 We don’t charge more than we have to, always keeping prices low to offer value for money and we never charge for when we don’t run sessions
🔸 We don’t forget that our coaches are also learning, and have an internal coach development program that provide them with support and guidance


𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬
🔸 We don't forget that we are part of a community and support a number of charities, schools and non-profit organisations across Milton Keynes


Contact us for more information at:
🌐 https://www.wemakefootballers.com/milton-keynes
✉️ [email protected]
☎️ 01908 011 442 *

* office open 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday (excl. public holidays)

"Who is Arthur Ellis?!"

Hello to lots of our lovely new followers 👋

We thought we'd take a moment to introduce ourselves - and reintroduce, for the initiated - who we are.

Arthur Ellis was founded on family, and generational mental health struggles with our Founder, Jon, dating back to his grandparents.

Jon started Arthur Ellis in the name of his Granddads who both suffered with their mental health in a time that it wasn't understood, or respected.

Ellis suffered greatly with Schizo-affective Disorder and spent over three decades hospitalised. He lost his family, work and housing. After also being diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition, Jon set up Arthur Ellis to change mental health services for good 🧠

We are not just practically invested in mental health solutions, but vocational in our attitude to imparting lasting change to every person who meets with our service with no waiting lists or thresholds 💚

Read more about us, here:

https://arthurellismhs.com/about-us/our-mission-and-vision

You can also meet us at our Summer Festival!

🎪 Sunday 23 August
🌱 Great Linford Manor Park
🗓️ 12noon - 5pm

I wish ....

We're now on our summer break 😎 and according to AI this is what we're doing ... but the reality is quite different:

🔸 we've just released a brand new website (have a look at www.wemakefootballers.com/milton-keynes)
🔸 ... and have lots of work continuing behind the scenes to refresh our booking system and customer experience
🔸 we're updating our syllabus and session plans for the new season
🔸 onboarding* new coaches who will be joining us from September
🔸 checking all of our equipment and renewing/replacing where required
🔸 refreshing our first aid kits - bulk order of ice packs submitted 😆
🔸 securing facilities for the new season (just one left to confirm)
🔸 making our way through a load of normal monthly admin including:
▪️ invoicing/paying bills and coach payments
▪️ reviewing and updating our risk assessments
▪️ ensuring all our coaches certifications are up to date
▪️ updating and printing promotional material

🔸 working with our partner clubs to ensure the new teams that we have helped them create are ready for the new season
🔸 providing coaches to run free football sessions on a Saturday for Keeping Kids Off The Streets
🔸 taking bookings for when training resumes (from September 9th)
🔸 answering calls and providing customer support (our office is open 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday excl. public holidays)

* 𝙤𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝟏𝟔 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙙 𝙀𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝘿𝘽𝙎 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝘼 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝘼 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨


We are also getting everything ready for The Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation Summer Festival event where we will be running free fun football activities:

🗓 Sunday 23rd August
⏰ 12:00 to 17:00
📍 Great Linford Manor Park

It's a great event with loads of things for the whole family to do, and it would be lovely to see you all there 👍⚽️


That's quite a list with lots still to do, and it'll be September before you know it, so definitely no time to put our feet up 😎🏖️🍹😆

Hot off the back of our Summer Camps, Head Coach Tom has signed up to run in the 2027 Manchester Marathon 🏃‍♂️💕

𝘐𝘯 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 2027 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘜𝘒

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘮 𝘪𝘯 2020 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳.

The link to Coach Tom’s JustGiving page is below if anyone would like to make a donation:

🌐 https://www.justgiving.com/page/thomas-lew-manchestermarathon

Well done Tom, go smash it💥👍💪🏃‍♂️💕

(and before anyone asks I will NOT be joining him 😆, my old knees start creaking after 26 steps let alone 26 miles 😳👴🏻🤣)

Football is a team game, and so is coaching …

Massive shout out to all of the coaches at our 2026 Summer Camps who absolutely epitomised our philosophy of safety, passion, development and, of course, FUN !!!

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵
Tom

𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀
Jai, Laura, Zoey, Millie and Ollie

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆
Henry, Lydia, Toby, James, Charlie, Lucy, Ben, Archie, Kenzie, Rebecca and Keri

𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀
Rio, Adam and Holly

This fantastic team worked tirelessly to ensure that they created a safe, inclusive and pressure free environment, supporting all of our players throughout the camps (which included girls and boys of all abilities who’s ages ranged from a couple who had just turned 5 all the way up to 13 years old teenagers), helping them become the best footballers they can be 👍⚽️🧡

Well done team, you’ve definitely earned a well deserved rest 👍⚽️🌟👏💪

Spent this afternoon packing up all of the equipment from our Summer Camps - now to fit all this in the van …

🥅🥅🥅
4x 6ft by 10ft goals
20x small goals
4x mini goals
4x Bazooka goals
1x smallest goal in the world

⚽️⚽️⚽️
60x yellow size 3 footballs
40x white size 4 footballs
6x ball pumps
(Lots of spare balls just in case)
1x mini ball
1x giant ball

🎽🦺🏆
60x bibs for 1v1 tournament (ten colours)
60x bibs for team tournament (multi sizes)
Loads more bibs of various size and colour
Tons of cones - large, small, numbered and various colours
50x coloured flat spots (diff colours)
Tournament trophies
Participation medals

🪧⛑️🔊
1x registration desk
1x chair
1x subs bench
3x information signs
9x storage boxes for packed lunches
3x storage boxes for coaches equipment
3x crates for drinks
2x rope barriers
3x We Make Footballers camp info signs
2x We Make Footballers pop up signs
3x session plan packs (pink/orange/blue)
4x first aid kits
5x spray bottles
2x speakers
1x box of spare boots and trainers (diff sizes)

⛺️😎☀️
1x large tent/shelter
5x pop-up tents
1x We Make Footballers gazebo

… and a few other bits and bobs


Tetris challenge: accepted 🧱🚚⚽️🤣

A fantastic hand made card received from six year old Alice who attended both of our summer camps this year 👍⚽️

A heart and three kisses … better than any five star review ever 🥰

Thank you Alice, have a great summer and see you soon 👍⚽️😎🧡