MK Dons Sport and Education Trust

What MK Dons Sport and Education Trust does

MK Dons Sport and Education Trust, operating as Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust, is a registered charity (Charity Number 1123762) founded in 2007 and headquartered at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. It is the official charity of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club and delivers community sports, football development, and education programmes across the city, employing 58 full-time and session staff and volunteers. The organisation engages over 50,000 participants annually (62,000+ engagements in 2024) aged 3 to 96, spanning youth football pathways, girls' and women's programmes, inclusion services for people with disabilities, school-based delivery, holiday camps, and post-16 qualifications including a Foundation Degree with the University of South Wales.

The trust runs a portfolio of more than fifteen programme lines, including Boys and Girls Football Pathways, Inclusion Sessions, Soccer Schools, Goalkeeping Development Camps, Premier League Kicks, Premier League Primary Stars, Joy of Moving, and Extra-Curricular Activities, delivered across five venues in Milton Keynes (Stadium MK, Brooklands, Fairfields, Woughton on the Green, Tattenhoe). It operates venue-based direct delivery to individuals and families, channel partnerships with schools and care homes, and educational delivery in partnership with the University of South Wales. The core technology footprint is a Wix-hosted marketing/booking site and the Let's Reg participant booking platform; no proprietary software or AI/ML capability is disclosed.

Revenue is generated through four principal streams: per-session programme fees, Friends of the Trust (FOTT) corporate membership subscriptions (from £1,000/year for the Inspire tier), charitable partnerships and sponsorships (led by Principal Partner Brioche Pasquier, plus Kellogg's and others), and education programme fees (BTEC and Foundation Degree). Pricing is granular and pay-as-you-go at the consumer level (e.g., £5 walking football, £20–£30 per day for camps, £25–£30 per coaching session). The trust rebranded from MK Dons SET to Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust in August 2025 alongside the appointment of Paul Mitchell as CEO and the engagement of Fortitude Communications as PR agency, indicating a deliberate brand and growth reset.

Name

MK Dons Sport and Education Trust

Legal name

Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust

Website

https://mkdonsset.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MK Dons Sport and Education Trust (trading as Milton Keynes Dons Community Trust) is a UK registered charity and the official charity of MK Dons Football Club, delivering community sports, football development, and education programmes to over 50,000 participants aged 3–96 across Milton Keynes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports & Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport-Specific Private Coaching & Instruction (1:1, Small Group) (MPAKAJAE), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Community sports programs
• Football education programs
• Youth sports coaching
• School sport partnerships
• Charitable sports trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton Keynes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Programme Fees: Revenue from participant fees for various sports and education programmes including football sessions, holiday camps, education courses, and individual coaching sessions.
2. Friends of the Trust (FOTT) Corporate Partnerships: Corporate membership programme providing companies CSR engagement opportunities in exchange for annual fees ranging from £1,000 for Inspire tier membership.
3. Charitable Partnerships and Sponsorship: Partnerships with organisations such as Brioche Pasquier as Principal Partner, Kellogg's for holiday camps, and other corporate sponsors supporting community initiatives.
4. Education Programme Fees: BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 in Sport courses, and Foundation Degree programme fees through University of South Wales partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MK Dons Sport and Education Trust is a registered UK charity (Charity Number 1123762) delivering community-based sport, education, and inclusion programmes in Milton Keynes, affiliated with MK Dons Football Club. It offers football coaching pathways, holiday camps, school sport partnerships, women's football, inclusion/disability sessions, and education programmes to children, schools, and community groups.

Product overview

MK Dons Sport and Education Trust operates as a charitable community sports and education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programmes. The core offering consists of football development pathways for boys (Player Progression Centre, Advanced Centre, Centre of Excellence) and girls (Technical Development Centre, Emerging Talent Centre, Girls Academy), alongside community sessions, inclusion programmes for people with disabilities, and education services spanning from primary schools through to Foundation Degree level. Additional programmes include holiday Soccer Schools, goalkeeping camps, women's recreational football, Premier League Kicks, Premier League Primary Stars, Joy of Moving, extra-curricular activities, CPD workshops, and a Friends of the Trust corporate membership scheme. The portfolio serves participants aged 3-96 across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Football Pathway Programmes
• School Sport Partnerships
• Holiday Camps
• Education Programmes
• Inclusion & Disability Football Sessions
• Women's and Girls' Football Programmes
• Friends of the Trust (FOTT) Corporate Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Engaged with over 50,000 participants aged 3-96 annually
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brioche PasquiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal Partner of MK Dons Community Trust. Brioche Pasquier is a bakery company that sponsors the trust's community programmes, including hosting events at venues and supporting women's football initiatives. They state: 'We strive to immerse ourselves in the surrounding community and as MK Dons Community Trust's Principal Partner, it allows us to do exactly that.'
• EFL TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Joy of Moving programme development and delivery. The EFL Trust has collaborated with MK Dons SET for over seven years on the programme which has moved over 400,000 children providing 2,000,000 additional hours of learning and activity.
• University of South WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership delivering Foundation Degree Sports Coaching and Development. Lectures, seminars and tutorials delivered by USW teaching staff, supported by Bristol Rovers tutors and mentors. Students gain work experience coaching on MK Dons Community Trust's projects.
• Premier LeaguecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding provider for the Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) programme for girls, making it free for players. Premier League Kicks programme also operates in partnership, creating opportunities for young people at risk of anti-social behaviour.
• Milton Keynes CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with local council for community development initiatives and shared community goals.
• NHS MKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth partnership supporting community wellbeing initiatives and physical activity programmes for health outcomes.
• MK Mavericks Futsal ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for futsal games and development. MK Dons SET's Centre of Excellence teams had opportunity to play futsal games with MK Mavericks, enhancing player development.
• Pro Alliance SportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMK Dons Community Trust hosted the Pro Alliance Sports National Championship Cup at Stadium MK for young people in care and care leavers. Over 500 players from 36 teams participated.
• Kellogg'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing free Kellogg's Football Camp spaces across Milton Keynes. Families can claim up to two free spaces per household by purchasing Kellogg's cereal. Summer 2025 programme.
• Local Schools NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with schools across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas for programme delivery including Premier League Primary Stars, extra-curricular activities, and education support.
• Fortitude CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAppointed PR agency to manage brand PR and marketing, campaign planning, social media, digital content, and media relations following a competitive tender process.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Manchester United Foundation: Official charity of Manchester United delivering schools, community coaching, and youth leadership programmes across Greater Manchester. Direct peer at substantially larger scale; offers BTEC-style education and disability inclusion comparable to MK Dons SET's portfolio.
• Liverpool FC Foundation: Charitable arm of Liverpool FC operating education, sports participation, health, and inclusion programmes across Merseyside. Direct peer; similarly structures programmes around Kicks, Primary Stars, disability sport, and post-16 education.
• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: Charitable arm of Tottenham Hotspur offering Premier League Kicks, Primary Stars, post-16 education, and disability football across Haringey and Enfield. Closest direct peer — overlaps nearly every programme category (girls' pathway, education, inclusion, Kicks, camps).
• Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust: Community trust of Watford FC delivering sport, education, and health programmes across Hertfordshire. EFL-aligned direct peer with comparable programme mix (pathways, schools, inclusion, women's football) and similar geographic scope.
• West Ham United Foundation: Charitable arm of West Ham United running Premier League Kicks, Primary Stars, health/wellbeing, and education programmes across East London and Essex. Direct EFL/PL-aligned peer with very similar programme mix and participant scale.
• Arsenal in the Community: Official charity of Arsenal FC delivering sport, education, and social inclusion programmes across North London. Direct peer — same model of club-affiliated community trust offering football pathways, schools programmes, and inclusion/disability sport, but at materially larger scale.
• Bristol Rovers Community Trust: Charitable arm of Bristol Rovers FC; explicitly mentioned in MK Dons SET data as a USW Foundation Degree delivery partner. Direct peer of very similar size and EFL-League One context — a particularly close comparable given the joint academic partnership.
• Chelsea Foundation: Official charity of Chelsea FC delivering football coaching, education, employability, and disability inclusion programmes. Direct peer with comparable pathway/academy structure and inclusion focus, but operating at significantly greater scale in London.

Others

• Premier League Charitable Fund: Fund that underwrites Premier League Kicks, Primary Stars, and the girls' Emerging Talent Centre. Like EFL Trust, functions as a funder/ecosystem partner rather than a peer — but the fund's policy choices directly shape the trust's revenue model.
• EFL Trust: Network body coordinating the 72+ EFL club community trusts, including the Joy of Moving programme under which MK Dons SET operates. Not a peer — functions as an upstream funder/aggregator and grants pipeline rather than a competing charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MKDonsSET
• Facebookfacebook.com/mk.d.set
• Instagraminstagram.com/mkdonssetofficial/?hl=en-gb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mk-dons-set

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MK Dons Sport and Education Trust