---
title: "Elaine Oakey's amputee football work wins Pride of Britain"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/stories/elaine-oakey-amputee-football-pride-of-britain-2026/
sourceName: "Pride of Britain Awards"
sourceUrl: "https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2026-winners/elaine-oakey/"
datePublished: 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z
dateModified: 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z
---

# Elaine Oakey's amputee football work wins Pride of Britain

Elaine Oakey, 53, from Blackpool, won the P&O Cruises Inspiration Award at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards. For more than a decade she has given young amputees a chance to play football, after lobbying for a junior team. She also cooks a Sunday roast for about 30 vulnerable or isolated people.

## What happened?

Elaine Oakey, 53, from Blackpool, won the P&O Cruises Inspiration Award at the 2026 Pride of Britain Awards.

Her son Jamie, now 23, was born without a foot and without the lower part of his right leg. When he was five, he was told he could train with his team but not play in matches.

## How did she help young amputees?

Oakey discovered amputee football. At the time, children trained only alongside adults. She lobbied the England Amputee Football Association (EAFA) to start a junior team.

More than a decade later, she volunteers as Head of EAFA Juniors and Head of Safeguarding. She also coaches, mentors and raises money. The juniors began with weekend camps in Cheshire and Blackpool.

"Now we run eight camps a year," she said.

Many young players arrive believing they will never play football again, she said.

Jamie now plays for Everton and England. He is due to play at the Amputee World Cup in Mexico in November.

## What else does she do?

Every Sunday, Oakey cooks a roast dinner. She delivers it to about 30 vulnerable or isolated people in her community.

She pays for her work with money from cleaning and from her job in a local pub. Her husband, David, died in 2019.

## Why does it matter?

Sport gives children confidence, friends and exercise. A junior pathway means young amputees can play with other children like them, instead of being left on the sidelines.

[See every 2026 Pride of Britain winner and regional finalist](/explainers/pride-of-britain-2026-winners/).

## Reporting notes

We checked the Pride of Britain winner page and Yahoo News UK's list of 2026 winners, published on 19 October 2026. The sources do not say how many children attend the junior camps.

## Sources

- [Pride of Britain Awards · Elaine Oakey](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2026-winners/elaine-oakey/): Official winner profile covering her son Jamie, the junior team and her Sunday roasts.
- [Yahoo News UK · 19 October 2026](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/meet-incredible-pride-britain-award-200606655.html): Full list of 2026 winners. Confirms her roles and the camps in Cheshire and Blackpool.

## Common questions

### What is EAFA?

EAFA is the England Amputee Football Association. Elaine Oakey volunteers as Head of EAFA Juniors and Head of Safeguarding.

### How does Elaine Oakey pay for her work?

She works as a cleaner and in a local pub. Pride of Britain says her earnings go either to the junior team or to paying for the Sunday dinners she cooks.

Primary source: [Pride of Britain Awards](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2026-winners/elaine-oakey/)