This year marks a milestone for Arsenal in the Community as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Double Club programme – one of the longest-running initiatives of its kind in the country.
Since the historic League and FA Cup double victory in 1998, the Double Club has played a pivotal role in supporting local primary school children via a unique blend of education and football. We continue to offer free support in schools, community centres and holiday camps, with more than 100 children per week attending sessions. More than 10,000 young people have taken part since the project’s inception.
The essence of the Double Club lies in its dual nature: a club of two halves. One half is dedicated to classroom education, covering a spectrum that includes reading, writing, maths, languages, homework support and – in response to the challenges posed by the Covid lockdowns – wellbeing and mindfulness. The other half uses football to engage youngsters in physical activity, encourage teamwork and showcase the joy of playing the game.
Our current sessions align with the core principles of the Arsenal Academy’s “Strong Young Gunners” philosophy. We focus on essential life skills through blocks of sessions on resilience, teamwork and aiming high.
One of our current participants at the Andover Estate Double Club is Elanur. She has been attending sessions from the start of last year and her mother has seen the positive impact of the ongoing engagement. “The sessions are friendly and helpful and she is enjoying the football. She is more confident, too,” Elanur’s mother says. “Before, she didn’t like football, but now she is enjoying it. We wish there were more days of Double Club.”
During the Easter holiday, Elanur also attended the girls’ holiday camp at the Hub. Elanur said, “I loved it. I made friends and I want to do it again.”
Elanur’s family have had a long relationship with the Double Club. For years, both of Elanur’s older sisters attended the Harvist Estate Double Club. “I couldn’t help my daughters with homework and they needed extra help,” says their mother. “I give so much thanks to the Double Club because my daughters are now a success: one is a solicitor and another is studying criminal law.”
Over the past 25 years, the Double Club has supported thousands of children with their learning in school as well as improving physical activity and access to free football sessions. With the funding of the PLPFA, we continue to support our “Strong Young Gunners” through education and physical activity.
For more information email henry milton at hmilton@arsenal.co.uk
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