Woburn & Wavendon Football Club, formerly Woburn Lions and Lionesses, was formed in 1976 and is based in West Bedfordshire and South East Milton Keynes, the fastest developing area in the UK. With nearly 500 playing members and approaching 40 teams from Under 6 through to adult – mixed, male, female and disability- there are huge opportunities to grow even further, but also immense challenges in providing suitable infrastructure and sustainable volunteer support.

The Club has built an enviable reputation going back generations, and epitomised by its’ two major summer grassroots festivals of football. The Lionesses girls tournament is one of England’s largest, attracting 138 teams this year, whilst the Lions boys’ tournament is one of the areas’ largest and longest running events. Together, both attracted crowds approaching 10,000 as they continue to provide an excellent advertisement for all the community initiatives the Club is committed to.

In the next few weeks, the Club will again participate in the national Popies4kits appeal in support of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. In previous seasons this has enjoyed 100% involvement from Club members, with the whole experience seen as a huge benefit in developing a sense of respect and appreciation for all the freedoms for all to participate and enjoy the grassroots game.

“WWFC is all about FUN, FRIENDSHIP & FOOTBALL. From our regular Sunday sessions aimed at Foundation/Reception girls and boys through to the Club organised and hosted refereeing courses, we are committed to providing continuous opportunities for all ages, backgrounds and abilities to develop and thrive in the wider football family” comments Club Chair, Robert Hill.

No better illustration of this is the Club’s weekly “Goalability” pan-disability football sessions. Other initiatives include the Lionesses SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football Centre which involved some 60 girls aged 6-11 in regular football sessions (many for the first time) and achieving two new girls teams for 2018/19.

The Club’s regular Under 6 sessions have also been hugely successful, producing four new Under 7 teams for this season. But as we all know, it’s not just a case of turning up and playing.

Volunteers are the key to all future opportunities offered through the Club. That’s the driving force behind the Club’s “Get Involved” campaign that seeks to target the thousands of potential volunteers who have contact with the Club each and every week.

From serving on the Club Committee to helping cut the grass at one of the Club’s seven playing locations, one of WWFC’s most valuable assets is its’ volunteer support. There are a host of Club roles requiring volunteers including safeguarding, pitch co-ordination, kit supply, grant funding, sponsorship, communications, Parish Council and League liaison which all look for volunteers each season in order to spread the load and ensure WWFC remains robust and forward thinking.

“We need to attract as much energy and expertise from as many volunteers as possible. It’s the lifeblood of the Club, but most of all its’ huge fun and really makes such a difference to the communities we serve” comments Robert Hill.

If you’d like to get involved with grassroots football at its’ best, please email Robert:- joinus@ww-fc.co.uk