The Arsenal Foundation

“I hope my story can help others”

The Arsenal Foundation Stories Like Ours

The Arsenal Foundation has helped to fund one of The ACED Project’s Stories Like Ours films, in this case the real-life story of Aaron, who turned his life around after dealing drugs and being stabbed. The three key people behind the film – Les Rowe, Tom Watt and Aaron himself – tell us about it.

The Arsenal Foundation Stories Like Ours

Les Rowe’s work with our Community department includes organising our annual Christmas lunch for care leavers at The Arsenal Hub

Les Rowe is a director of the ACED Project Community Interest Company, under whose umbrella the Stories Like Ours films have been made. He also happens to be Emile Smith Rowe’s father…

“My link to Arsenal in the Community came about via my role as education, employment and training advisor at Independent Future, Islington’s leaving care service. I work closely with the Community team, referring young people for employment and training opportunities. I have taken children to the Street Child World Cup and every year I work Christmas Day at The Arsenal Hub with the Community team and a charity called Go Forward Youth to put on a Christmas lunch for care leavers. I was always keen to keep Emile grounded so he has attended that event as well as our Kick Off homework club at the Hub.

“The ACED Project CIC came about via a chance conversation via LinkedIn during lockdown in 2021 with likeminded people who were keen to support care experienced young people using the power of sport – specifically football. Our aim is for this cohort to Aspire, Collaborate and be Empowered, hence the name. My fellow directors, father and son Bradley and Jack Goldenberg, and I work with a wide range of organisations on projects that aim to inspire young people and help them find employment or gain qualifications.

“Tom and I met in a cafe just across the road from The Arsenal Hub. I was going to watch a youth game at the Emirates and popped in for a coffee. I saw Tom sitting there and thought I would say hi, having recognised him from his role in EastEnders. 

“Tom was very engaging, and we sat and chatted football for a while before I revealed why I was at the game. Tom raved about Emile as one of the young players everyone was keeping an eye on. We’ve been in touch ever since and now work closely together on the Stories Like Ours.

“We rely totally on donations to make these films. I was lucky to have a long-term friend sponsor the first film, and a parent of a pre-academy player at The Arsenal Hub sponsored the second. The Arsenal Foundation helped us with the fourth film.”

The Arsenal Foundation Stories Like Ours

Lifelong Arsenal fan Tom Watt has been involved with Arsenal in the Community since 1986

Tom Watt is the interviewer and director for Stories Like Ours, and has been an Arsenal fan for the best part of 60 years…

“I met Alan Sefton, one of my heroes in football, in 1986, when he arrived at Highbury to take up the role as Arsenal’s first head of community. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with the Community department ever since, from producing educational materials for the Double Club scheme – which is celebrating its 25th anniversary – to founding Arsenal’s charity football team. It has been a pleasure and a privilege. And now, I’m grateful that The Arsenal Foundation has helped us bring an amazing story to life on film. 

“Les and a colleague were setting up The ACED Project and were looking for ideas. I had one: Stories Like Ours. We’ve been working together on them together since.

“I sit down with the subject of each film – in this case, Aaron – and talk through the crisis in their life that we’re going to talk about and how we’ll focus in on the feelings and emotions that challenge presented them with. Then, on the day, I’ll conduct the interview on camera and, afterwards, help with the edit, to get the story down to an accessible and powerful five or six minutes.

“Each of the Stories Like Ours is inspiring in its own way, with people remembering some of the most difficult and challenging moments they’ve lived through and telling us how they started to find a way past them. It’s humbling that people like Aaron are ready to trust us with their stories.

“I was really happy with how Aaron’s film turned out. The Stories Like Ours only achieve their objective, though, when they’re watched, talked about and thought about by the young people we’re aiming to reach with them.

“Aaron’s film and the other Stories Like Ours are available free to any organisation working with young people. The films aim to start conversations around life challenges and the feelings and emotions which those experiences involve. They’re being trialled in schools, prisons, sports academies and on community projects in Islington and across the country. 

“So far, feedback is that young people are finding the films both watchable and thought-provoking, and that session organisers are able to use them to jump into having some difficult and important conversations.” 

The Arsenal Foundation Stories Like Ours

Aaron Barker is the subject of a film, funded by The Arsenal Foundation, in which he talks about how he has turned his life around after a difficult start

Aaron Barker is 32 and from London. He is the subject of a hard-hitting story about how he turned his life around…

“The film tells the story of my early life. In short, I was taken into care, selling drugs at 14 and getting into gang fights. At 16 I was attacked and stabbed, suffering nine puncture wounds plus slashes and cuts. At 16 I was all over the place emotionally and mentally, and I didn’t have the emotional intelligence to articulate my feelings. Now, something that I carry with me is that I know you always have a choice in life.

“Since I endured those experiences in my adolescent years, I detached myself from the negative aspects and I have gone on to complete and undergraduate and masters course. I’m now a professional quantity surveyor working in the construction industry on a mixture of residential/commercial and civil engineering projects. 

“I first met Les as a teenager when I was under the care of Islington council. We reconnected in my adult years via a former colleague of his and we’ve remained in contact since. I’ve always wanted to give back in someway and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“In the film I spoke from the heart so there was no script as such, but Tom assisted with the location because football is so close to my heart.

“I’d never done anything like this before so I was a tad nervous, but the film crew’s reaction filled me with confidence. I was really happy with the result and I trust Les and Tom will do their best with it. 

“I just hope that my story can in some way helped or inspire others. I was blessed to encounter people and experiences along my way that have helped to guide and influence my life. If my story can help even individual think differently or give them an alternative perspective I will be happy.”

There are four Stories Like Ours so far but plans for many more over the coming months. Just contact Les at les@theacedproject.org to find out how to get involved, either as a subject for a film or as a sponsor who can help us tell another story. You can watch Aaron’s story here