Elaine Oakey, 53, was left gobsmacked and in tears when comedian Jason Manford surprised her on the pitch with a Pride of Britain award. Jason dropped in on a training session with the England Amputee Football Association Juniors in Nantwich, Cheshire, to deliver the news.
Elaine says: “I can’t believe it. I’m shaking. To win a Pride of Britain award is just amazing. I’m absolutely chuffed to bits.” She will receive her P&O Cruises Inspiration award at the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards in partnership with P&O Cruises, on October 19 at Grosvenor House in London.
A decade of transforming lives
Real-life hero Elaine, who lives in Blackpool, has spent more than a decade transforming the lives of young amputees through football. Her drive comes from her 23-year-old son, Jamie, who was born missing his foot and the lower part of his right leg. She says: “A lot of these children have been told no, like Jamie, or had doors shut in their face. I kick that door down for them.”
Jamie grew up loving football but at five was told he couldn’t play due to his prosthetic. Elaine says: “It was safety this, logistics that. It broke my heart. The noes just kept on coming.” But while taking Jamie to a Bolton Wanderers match, Elaine and her husband David, who died in 2019, was approached by someone who spotted Jamie and asked if they’d heard about amputee football.
Building a junior team
Elaine approached the England Amputee Football Association and was told there was no dedicated children’s programme so Jamie could only train alongside adults. Elaine says: “I lobbied the head coach to develop a junior team. Now 70 amputee children come to our camps six to eight times a year.” Elaine is Head of EAFA Juniors and Head of Safeguarding, giving an essential lifeline to kids who believed they would never play again.
In her voluntary roles, Elaine coaches, mentors, and spearheads fundraising, offering children a pathway into sport, starting with weekend camps in Cheshire and Blackpool. Jamie, who was with his mum when she received news of her award, is incredibly proud. He says: “Growing up, I just wanted to be like my friends. I loved football and wanted more than anything to play. But I was turned away because of my disability. I could train with the teams, but not play in actual matches for safety and insurance reasons. To be told no as a little lad was really tough. It’s devastating and ‘others’ you. But amputee football changed all that. And Mum made it happen.” Jamie now plays amputee football for Everton and England and will play in next month’s Amputee World Cup in Mexico.
A safe space for children
Elaine has created somewhere for children with limb difference to be themselves, and, importantly, have fun. She says: “Young people come to us at the toughest of times. They believe they’ll never play football again, and some get selected to the squad and even go on to represent England. A lot of our children have had cancer, they’ve been involved in car accidents, other accidents, or have birth defects. And when they come here, there’s other children that are amputees as well that are just like them that they don’t see day-to-day. Here, nobody’s staring, nobody’s looking. This is their safe space. We’ve developed a little village, a community. And it’s great for the parents, too, because they can’t have that conversation about their child where no other parent would understand.”
Michelle Dyal, 42, has been bringing son Arthur, 13, to Elaine’s camps for three-and-a-half years. Arthur was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2022, having chemo and amputation. Michelle says: “You can feel helpless. But Elaine threw us a liferaft. She held our hand throughout treatment, she would always check in. She invited us to come down two weeks after Arthur had his leg amputated. She’s a real life angel and she’s given us a place to come which feels like home.” Arthur says: “She’s always thinking about other people. She was the light at the end of the tunnel when I lost my leg.”
Mark Newman has been bringing Isabelle, nine, to EA for two years. Isabelle was born without her left arm. Mark says: “It’s fantastic, the effort she puts in. It’s pure, unadulterated selflessness. She has created a space for parents and kids who have been through something traumatic to come together and have fun.” Isabelle says: “I love playing with other people. Elaine brings people together. I’m very proud of her for winning a Pride of Britain award.”
Jamie says: “She pushed and pushed every week and got the other parents to rally together, and they’ve made it what it is today. She’s made the world of difference. Without her, we wouldn’t be here now.” Elaine is also a cleaner and works in a local pub. All she earns either helps the team, or pays for her to cook a roast dinner every Sunday, which she takes to 30 vulnerable or isolated people in her community.
Jason said: “We need more Elaines. People like Elaine makes us realise even in the hardest, darkest, worst situations, we’re going to be all right.” Jamie says: “Mum is a real life super hero. And she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves.”
