Spreading festive cheer in our local community

This week our men’s and women’s first-team players and club staff shared festive cheer with young supporters across north London as we continued our long-standing tradition of bringing presents to hospitals and community initiatives in the local area.

Players including Jordan Nobbs, Aaron Ramsdale, Kim Little, Emile Smith Rowe, Cedric, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Granit Xhaka, Katie McCabe and Oleksandr Zinchenko took the time to visit children’s wards at the Homerton, Whittington and Royal Free hospitals, handing out presents and spending time with the young patients and their families.

Meanwhile, players including Lina Hurtig, Bukayo Saka, Mana Iwabuchi and Martin Odegaard visited The Arsenal Hub to surprise children from our community literacy club, and our Kicks and Young People in Care programmes.

While over at our London Colney training centre, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Lia Walti, Caitlin Foord and Jen Beattie joined our partners at Lavazza and young community members from our “A Cup of Learning” programme to learn all about latte art and what it takes to make the perfect cup of coffee. Lavazza also donated coffee bags from the day to local food banks to help people in need over the festive period.

We thank Hasbro Toy Company for the donation of 150 toys, our Academy department for donating three boxes, and Arsenal Retail for donating a host of Arsenal gifts. 

Thanks also to staff at the Arsenal Academy for their donations of clothes and toiletries that were distributed to a local winter night shelter in Archway – Shelter From The Storm, a local homeless kitchen – Margins Project at Union Chapel and toys that were given to Haywards Adventure Playground for young people with special needs in Islington. All three have been previous beneficiaries of a small grant from the Arsenal Foundation’s Gunners Fund.

See photos from the visits in our photo gallery below and keep an eye on our social media channels to see more players coming together to spread festive joy with the Arsenal family.

Hub and Whittington visits