Vaulks and Bedeau Named PFA Community Champions

Will Vaulks and Naomi Bedeau have been named as Oxford United’s PFA Community Champions for the 2025/26 season.

The award recognises the outstanding contribution that Will and Naomi have made away from the pitch across the Oxfordshire community.

Awarded annually, it celebrates players who go above and beyond to support local people and community causes, with nominations submitted by Oxford United in the Community.

Naomi Bedeau

Earlier this season, Naomi founded Beat the Block, a non-profit organisation which aims to empower young girls through education, exposure and sport. Working in collaboration with Oxford United in the Community, she has visited numerous schools across Oxfordshire to deliver skill-building workshops, using reflections from her own journey through education and elite sport to inspire others.

She said: “The reason for this is because there were parts of me that I maybe didn’t understand as a child and parts of me that I felt a bit ashamed about.

“I really want to empower these girls to believe that the fact they are unique and different is a really strong thing and they should be proud of who they are.”

It is another accolade for the Captain of Oxford United Women, who this month was also named on the prestigious Football Black List for her off the pitch work.

Will Vaulks

This season, Will Vaulks has continued to drive meaningful change in suicide prevention, through the Club’s Can We Talk? campaign. Working with the Baton of Hope, the initiative aims to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide, with a focus on normalising conversations and empowering people across Oxfordshire to have the tools to support each other.

Will has delivered speeches to local schools and Oxford United Academy players, as well as hosting an impactful suicide prevention workshop to over 150 people at the Kassam Stadium.

Speaking after the event, Will said: “We have done so much work in the Club and in the community, but we wanted to give back to the supporters. The time was perfect to allow supporters to learn more about what we are doing and take away key lessons on understanding their own mental health through the powerful work of Baton of Hope.

As a result of his ongoing work, Will recently also collected the EFL Championship Player in the Community Award at the EFL Awards 2026.

Everyone at Oxford United in the Community extends their gratitude to Will and Naomi for their community efforts this season, and congratulates them for this well-deserved recognition.