We recently hosted our biggest disability inclusion event to-date, welcoming 60 children and young people to Emirates Stadium for a unique event.
The event is the first of its kind in football, bringing together the delivery expertise of Arsenal in the Community along with a variety of specialist projects that have been funded or supported by The Arsenal Foundation.
We invited young people and adults from across north London, engaging them in a range of activities. It was created to reach out to local people and fans that may not be able to take part in the usual football sessions led by Arsenal in the Community.
Our guests experienced a variety of projects that have recently been supported by The Arsenal Foundation including Arts and Music Company Funky Pie, The Stress Project who specialise in adapted yoga therapy sessions and Bag Books who provide a unique sensory storytelling experience.
Other activities on the day included a session with adapted cycling charity Pedal Power and adapted dance sessions with Disability Dance charity, Act One Arts Base, both of which have been supported by The Arsenal Foundation.
Arsenal in the Community’s Disability Officer, Luke Howard said: “I am incredibly proud to host an inclusive event of this size. We had to ensure that we could offer safe and adapted activities with specifically designed opportunities for those in the local area who would love to be with Arsenal, but potentially face barriers with getting involved.
“We will look to expand our current Community offer to ensure we meet the needs of those who would like to be involved. Events like this show our commitment to enabling everyone to access Arsenal, as well as the dedication of the club to the local community and the amazing projects that The Arsenal Foundation support.
"It’s all about using football and Arsenal to bring together people who may need the support.”
Through a number of initiatives undertaken in the community, inside Emirates Stadium and throughout the club, Arsenal endeavours to ensure that everyone associated with the club feels an equal sense of belonging.
For more information on our facilities and initiatives click here
If you’d like to get involved in a future inclusion event, please contact Luke Howard on lhoward@arsenal.co.uk
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.