The No More Red initiative launched in January with adidas to support the long-standing work being done by Arsenal in the Community to keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence.
Within that, one of the aims was to spotlight the work of young people who have made a positive difference, and today we celebrate six of them for the work they have put in to Arsenal in the Community programmes and beyond. Well done to Tilly, Josh, Becky, Abby, Jordan and Ahmed, who will each receive one of the iconic white shirts that highlight the No More Red campaign.
Tilly is a Camden resident who is an outstanding role model. Having overcome the many challenges that she experienced in the education system growing up, she understands many of the issues facing young people in her community. Tilly now works in local alternative education settings and estates as a community coach and peer mentor.
Josh is an extremely talented young person who aims to inspire and support other autistic individuals through sharing his own experiences and achievements. Josh is currently studying criminology at university as well as pursuing a career in acting. Having appeared in several short films, Josh hopes to develop his experiences in the industry further over the coming years.
Becky has been a participant on Arsenal in the Community programmes for five years, engaging in education and football initiatives. She has grasped several opportunities over the past year, including taking part in our Young Leaders programme, completing her FA Playmaker course and gaining her FA Introduction to Coaching Football Certificate. She is a hugely valuable member of our programme and sets a fantastic example to the other members of the group.
Abby is a former Arsenal in the Community participant and now a community coach who works across several Education and Social Inclusion programmes. She progressed from being a participant on our Women’s and Girls programme on to our two-year BTEC Level Sports Science Course.
Since completing that, Abby has pursued a coaching career working with Arsenal in the Community and local grassroots teams while also playing for Islington Football Development. Abby has demonstrated fantastic commitment and is seen as a positive role model to the young people that she coaches.
Jordan is an Islington resident who has taken part in Arsenal in the Community programmes for eight years. He has always shown a desire to make the most of positive opportunities such as courses, volunteering and spent a season as part of the Arsenal ball squad. He is respected highly by his peers in the community for his positive attitude, leadership skills and dedication to achieving his personal goals. Jordan is currently a first-year scholar at Sutton United.
Ahmed is a local entrepreneur who has inspired other young people by creating a successful digital media platform called Dose of Society, which aims to connect communities and like-minded advocates around the world through the power of video and collective action. He was a part of the Copenhagen Youth Project in Islington from a young age, and he now sits on their board as a youth chair.
Ahmed’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2018 when he decided to pick up his camera, tour the borough of Islington and document stories of young teenagers. Through his passion, hard work and creativity, Ahmed attracted investment and Dose of Society now possesses an extraordinary online following and continues to go from strength to strength.
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