Milton Keynes College has entered into a unique new partnership with Rightmove, the UK’s largest online property portal.
The agreement sees Rightmove supporting the College’s Elite Men’s Football programme, including a new shirt sponsorship arrangement, making them the first company to see their logo placed on the College team’s kits.
As a result of the deal with Rightmove, the College’s Elite Men’s Football Programme are building on the success of last season’s achievements, which saw the team claim an unprecedented double, winning the ECFA Premier Cup and ECFA Category 1 Play-Off Final. “The agreement with Rightmove is fantastic news for everyone involved in our football programme.” MK College’s Head of Football, Mark Walsh, comments.
“Last season saw the team defeat larger institutions with more developed programmes and bigger budgets, to win two extremely prestigious trophies - all of which put the College on the map nationally. Now, thanks to the outstanding support from Rightmove, we’re in a position to continue the great work we have started and develop our offering to more young footballers, providing them with excellent opportunities to develop careers in football.”
Since the deal was sealed in July, the College team have competed in several Under-19 matches showcasing the new kit. Although the Rightmove staff team secured a 4-3 win over the Milton Keynes College staff at a recent company match!
In addition to sponsoring the student football team Rightmove have expanded into other business areas, including supporting the HND Graphic Design programme by offering a total of 12 work placements this year. Providing each student with real industry experience by working alongside Rightmove’s experienced graphic design teams, an opportunity which is vital to Milton Keynes College’s programmes, it enables students to be work ready by the time they complete their course.
“We are delighted with the Milton Keynes College partnership, which has gone from strength to strength.” Comments Robbie Appleyard, Customer Care Manager at Rightmove, who was instrumental in bringing the partnership to life. “While allowing us to connect with really talented young local students, it has opened us up to a host of opportunities including the new football sponsorship, being a part of the fantastic Student of the Year Awards, and even our own staff accessing the College’s training courses. It has been so successful we’ve extended it in to other teams within Rightmove, and we’ve now had our first full time recruit from the College.”
MK College’s football programme offers students an opportunity to develop their skills both on and off the field, providing a dedicated plan of training and academic support to achieve Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in sport performance and excellence.
This year alone, members of the College’s programme have enjoyed great individual success alongside the team’s glory, with three players being selected for the ECFA’s English Colleges representative team in addition to former squad members going on to win professional contracts or earn trials with Football League clubs.
