The Queen V among the Penguins

‘The Queen V among the Penguins’

Vickie Smith-Cockram is co-founder, along with legendary 1980s Brentford FC player, Allan Cockram, of the Planet Penguin Football Foundation, the charity behind the Brentford Penguins football team for young people with Down’s Syndrome, and also the Brentford Emperors and Brentford Empresses teams for older players.
Over the past year, we’ve seen the Brentford Penguins win award after award.
Allan was named “Volunteer of the Year” at events such as the London Sport Awards, Unsung Hero at The Sun’s ‘Who Cares Wins’ awards, and as a Coronation Champion at Windsor Castle, plus the many prizes for the team’s video documentary ‘Mighty Penguins’.
We’ve also seen Allan making the acceptance speeches and holding the trophies and we’ve heard  so much about Neal Maupay getting stuck in with all the activities!
But in the photos, his wife, Vickie, stands beside him, sharing the honours while managing to remain mostly out of the spotlight.

‘It feels like the Penguins is a central nucleus and the ripples of positivity surge away from this
in all areas of the player’s and their families’ lives’

We all want to know the story behind this power couple, and Bees United are the first to secure this exclusive Q&A interview with Vickie, thanks to Brentford Empresses member Carlene Bender

The Queen V’ – the Penguins website says you’re the person “behind the day-to-day running” of the club. What does a typically busy day for The Queen V look like?

I’m full time in the Media industry so it’s always very fast-paced and hectic but I do manage to find time during my lunch breaks, early mornings and after work which I dedicate to Planet Penguin. With the growth of the charity in the last year as well as the running of the 3 teams it has been very hard work and challenging but also very rewarding. It’s nice to be able to put my organisational skills to the test in many different ways. I do find myself sometimes writing emails and to-do lists in my sleep!

What are you working on when you’re not working on Brentford Penguins?

I’ve worked for the past 19 years in media across many live TV shows, feature films, TV channels and now I am working for an in-house creative and advertising agency for a large UK Broadcaster. I studied Film and Television theory and production at University which I loved and was fortunate to get my first Runners job quite quickly after I graduated. In my spare time, when I’m not working or running the Clubs, I really love to do something creative. I’ve turned my hand to all sorts over the years such as cake decorating, painting, photography, pottery and now I’m learning the craft of furniture restoration and upholstery, in Brentford of course!

I absolutely love being creative and find it really relaxing and therapeutic in a really busy life.

Tell us a bit about the love story at the heart of the organisation – and how did you come up with the idea for the Brentford Penguins?

Allan and I met at The Redback Tavern, an Aussie-type bar with live bands in Acton many, many moons ago. I was out with my housemates on a Thursday night and he was out celebrating some Birthdays with his fire fighter colleagues. We just got chatting at the bar while waiting for a drink and we had a bit of a silly dance. He just really made me laugh, and I mean one of those really belly-aching laughs, and we never looked back! Sadly The Redback has changed hands since and its just not the same which is a real shame. It was such a fun night out there.

When Allan left the Fire Brigade he temporarily moved to the USA to get back in to football coaching. I used to visit him regularly over there and absolutely loved it. Grassroots ‘Soccer’ in the US is very different from the UK and a lot of the parents think their kid is ‘the best player EVER!’ when in reality they are wearing crocs and can’t really kick a ball.

This time in the US was my first real experience of football having never played it at school or having been involved in team sport in any way. I used to love helping Allan with setting up pitches and games and I learned a great deal from him and the kids. We even got to run a football Summer Camp at West Point Military Academy which was an incredible experience. It was so lovely to see Allan rediscover his love of the beautiful game and coaching and I knew that he had found his calling in life.

When it was time for Allan to leave the USA and come home, we were toying with a few ideas regarding football coaching. At this point he was already coaching a Men’s University Team (they thrashed all their opposition) but there was something missing. On a trip to an Irish pub in Ealing with his friend Dan (who is also involved in Football) they hatched up a plan for the Brentford Penguins over a pint of Guinness (and a few!). Allan has a very big heart and wanted to give something back to the community. He had a previous and very poignant experience of assisting children with Down’s Syndrome and this is what inspired him to set up this wonderful club. He and Dan came home, a little worse for wear, and told me about their plans. I thought it was an excellent idea, as I too used to volunteer in my teens, along with my Mum, at a play club for people with Downs. The idea of the Penguins very quickly took off and within a few weeks we had already spoken to Down Syndrome Active (who engages and encourages people with Downs to participate in sport) and we had already sent out our first flyers for our first drop in coaching session which was back in October 2017.

It was an absolute whirlwind and we’ve never looked back and we even had time to get married in 2019 – just!

Working alongside Allan in the charity has been really enjoyable and pretty frictionless. Even though we are quite different characters (he is quite extrovert and is happy to speak to a room full of 500 people, I am much more introverted), we work really well together. He excels in his coaching and I enjoy all the behind-the-scenes running of the clubs and the charity. It could be described a yin and yang where our skills complement each other and I am truly grateful that we can work together.

How involved do you get with the coaching and all the qualifications and training?

I am very hands-on with the coaching, which was originally very much out of my comfort zone. Every Sunday at Penguins training I run my own group with up to 8 players. I am really grateful to have pushed myself to get more involved in the coaching side of things as it really enables me to get to know the players and their spirited personalities. It’s a great deal of fun and you can’t help but smile and laugh your way through it. I always come away from Sunday morning training with a massive grin on my face and feel so alive. I’ve now completed the relevant FA training in order to be able to coach and volunteer with the Penguins but living with Allan, and now working alongside him, his ways, methods and people skills have definitely rubbed off on me.

Everyone wants to know this one – David Beckham – what’s he like?

Meeting David for the Who Cares Wins awards was mind-blowing.

We hadn’t been expecting that at all and it was such a wonderful surprise. Both him and Romeo were so kind and friendly and didn’t hesitate at the chance of kicking a ball around with our players. I found them both very down to earth, nothing was too much trouble and our player’s absolutely loved meeting them. There was a real excitement there in the stadium that day and I’ll never forget it.

I do have a funny story that I can share with you.

When we were waiting around to have our photos taken with David, Louis, one of our very cheeky players thought it would be a good idea to kick Mr David Beckham up the bum – which he of course succeeded in doing.

David definitely found the humour in this and we all had a laugh. Then, as if kicking Golden Balls up the bum wasn’t enough, Louis then proceeded to tell him that he thinks David should dump his Victoria and marry me instead as I am also called Victoria and he thinks we are a good match.

At that moment, I just wished for the grass to have parted and swallowed me up! I’m sure my face turned the deepest shade of red but it was very, very funny.

We’ve played together on the Brentford Empresses team, so I know you’re not too bad with the football yourself! Do you get “special coaching” at home?

I’m from an era when we never played football at school. I also went to a girls-only secondary school so I never had the opportunity to play football or really appreciate the game. The first time I properly kicked a ball was during the first session of the Brentford Empresses which we started in April 2023. We wanted to have a club to bring football to ladies over 40 who had never really played the game before, and I was one of those ladies. I had to learn the very basics of even how to kick a ball properly and I did struggle the first few weeks. I’ve not really been given any extra training or preferential treatment so it is like a lot of practical things, you just learn on the go and practice, practice, practice! I do try to listen to Allan’s advice and tips when he’s coaching the Empresses and I also find watching Brentford has given me a better understanding of the game and I’ve realised sometimes it is like a game of chess where you have to think 2 steps ahead.

What do you do when you need to get a break from the football? (Is there ever a break from ……?

When I do have time to myself I like nothing more than to go away for long weekends visiting family and friend or holidays abroad. Myself and Allan the last few years have been visiting a really beautiful part of mainland Spain near Mojacar (south east Spain). It’s still a very unspoilt area with charming whitewashed Andalusian houses nestled in the foothills, long sandy beaches and not a high rise in sight! It’s just beautiful there. It’s a place we can go to unwind and recharge our batteries. We do also still end up brainstorming ideas for the charity, as you never really do switch off, but it’s just so nice to be able to escape the London rat race. The Summer is also very busy for us as we also run two Summer Camps for the Penguins so there is always something to be planning and getting on with.

Did you ever expect that the Penguins would receive so much national (and international) attention? How do you feel when the club, or Allan, gets nominated for an award? How did you know that the Penguins wasn’t just good but was going to be great?

We never started this journey with the Penguins thinking of an outcome but it truly has been a wild ride and I feel the more we can introduce our amazing players to a wider community then they can start to have the same opportunities and chances as everyone else. The past year, since the Mighty Penguins film was made has been a total whirlwind, and for me personally, it is something I am so appreciative of and grateful for. I make sure that I try to take in every moment as you never know when it is going to end. I am so proud of Allan and his boundless and relentless energy and his determination to truly make a difference in the world. For our Club to be honoured in so many different ways is sometimes inconceivable but we are absolutely blessed to have each and every one of our players, their families and our volunteers who have all contributed tremendously to make this happen.

What are you most proud of about Brentford Penguins?

Mighty Penguins is all about Brentford Penguins. The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2023

This is a really tricky question as there are so many things I am proud of.

I think that to start with just 5 players back in 2017 and now over 6.5 years later to have 44 players (and more) ranging from 3.5 years to 26 years is an incredible accomplishment and it just goes to show how much a club like this is needed.

We have some players who travel a round trip of 80 miles just to come to the Penguins every Sunday morning.

I am proud that the all the hard work both myself and Allan have put in to this is truly making a difference in the Down Syndrome community.

We’ve had some incredible feedback from parents about the positive changes they have seen in their children and how the Penguins have really helped not only with the player’s physical health but also in their confidence and in their schooling.

It feels sometimes like the Penguins is a central nucleus and the ripples of positivity surge away from this in all areas of the player’s and their families’ lives. Just being able to make, even just a small difference, in a really tough world is what I am most proud of.

What exciting things are you working on next for the Brentford Penguins? Tell us what to look out for – what is next, and what are the big Penguins plans for the rest of the year?

Amazing fun at the summers camps – T shirts by BU!

Reflecting on what has happened to us over the last 12 months, its hugely difficult to predict what’s going to happen in the future for the Penguins but there are definitely some things we have in the pipeline.

As previously mentioned, we will be running 2 Summer Camps for our players over the Summer Holidays which is always filled with such fun.

As well as our Camps we also give our players other experiences such as horse riding, crazy golf, days out to London Zoo or trips away to play competitive games. It’s so important to give them really varied adventures.

Sponsor needed

As our charity is getting bigger and bigger we now need to put things in place to keep the Clubs going. This means we are currently on the lookout for Major Sponsors that align with our philosophy.

This will enable us to give our players further experiences and also to assist them with furthering their life skills. Unfortunately for children with Down Syndrome, when they hit 16, or if they are extremely lucky, their early 20s, all formal education stops for them.

This means they are left to their own devices and its just a black hole of nothing.

Our biggest project yet, is to create, in the very near future, our own Penguin facility for our players whereby it would consist of an indoor football pitch for our players to play in all weathers as currently we play on the grass in Gunnersbury Park. We want to include a café where our players can learn to cook and be employed, a media room for them to make social media content and a programme for our players to improve their life skills and gain more independence.

This is a huge project but it is something we are very passionate about and we will do all we can to make this happen.

 Help the Penguins find a facility or a major sponsor, they will be truly grateful.

Planet Penguins is here 

And on X

Carlene Bender
Carlene has been coming to watch Brentford since the days when her Trinidad and Tobago countryman Anthony Rougier played for the club.
These days you can find her in the East stand at the Gtech, waving the ‘Bee Together’ flag and making a lot of noise.
Connect Carlene on Instagram