When Lotte Wubben-Moy signed her Arsenal contract extension in 2022, she made a commitment to community work, as well as football.
With the help of Arsenal in the Community and the staff at the Hub, the Time to Explore programme was born. The free weekly sessions were designed to provide creative opportunities for 16-year-old girls in Camden, Hackney and Islington and the programme is now in its second year.
"They play football 25% of the time, but the other 75% of the time is spent exploring things that I think helped me in my youth grow into the person I am today," said Lotte. "The person that doesn't just focus on football and appreciates other things in the world.
"It's an array of different things that I'm passionate about, and that I hope these girls might be passionate about too. That's what Time To Explore is about: it's exploring whether you like something, but also whether you want to pursue something further and using football as a means to do that."
"I think all too often at school, we're told no. We're told to be quiet, we're told to behave, and in reality, I think the most growth you make as a young woman is when you're free when you're able to express yourself.
"I'd like to think that every Tuesday these girls come down here is a chance for them to be free in that way."
To hear more from Lotte and see what happens at Time to Explore, click the play button above.
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