The Arsenal Hub – Home of Arsenal Community Opens It’s Doors
May 9th, 2015 by 'holic
The Arsenal Hub, the new home of Arsenal in the Community, opened its doors to the public for the first time on Friday for a special launch event. The opening coincided with the 30th anniversary of Arsenal in the Community, who have been delivering meaningful community projects in Islington since 1985.
The Arsenal in the Community team’s new base will deliver 50 hours of sports and education sessions to 1,500 local people each week when it is fully up and running later this year. Based around a 50m long 4G astro-turf pitch, the facility also houses classrooms, meeting space and the Arsenal Red Zone adult learning centre.
Per Mertesacker and Francis Coquelin joined over 100 invited guests to celebrate the opening of the Hub. The Head of Arsenal in the Community, the long-serving Alan Sefton, welcomed everybody, including the MP for Islington North Jeremy Corbyn. Alan commented “We are really excited to be up and running in our new centre. It’s a fantastic facility which will allow us to run more sessions and work with more individuals in the local area than ever before.”
The first official game on the pitch was between participants from a range of Arsenal in the Community programmes. Mertesacker and Coquelin kicked off the match and acted as team managers. The Gunners duo also took a tour of the Hub, meeting participants from the Arsenal Employability programme and the club’s Gap Year scheme, before dropping in on schoolchildren from four Islington primary schools, who were taking part in the club’s flagship education programme the Arsenal Double Club.
The Arsenal Hub was inspired by the ‘JVC’ centre at Highbury. Its opening marks the completion of the £390-million Emirates Stadium regeneration project since the Gunners’ move from Highbury in 2006.
That Arsenal have such a presence in the community is a source of considerable pride for club and supporters alike. Long may Alan and his team deliver such a wonderful service.
16 Responses to “The Arsenal Hub – Home of Arsenal Community Opens It’s Doors”
first first….
That’s right @kenyangooner .. that’ll be our position next season!
😀
🙂
Apologies for server downtime. I have put another shilling in the meter now.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150509/-i-don-t-want-to-miss-theo-s-golden-age-
[Out] of the whole squad he is the player who has played the most games for us. Nobody has played more for us than Theo.
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Hope Theo stays!
As a Holloway/Islington born chap, this is the stuff that you like to see.
Well played Arsenal.
Class Arsenal – pride indeed.
Of course, trying to turn this into a Theo debate was just what we needed.
NOT.
Good to see the club staying rooted locally.
And to see this bar back up. Took you a bit of time to find that shilling down the back of the sofa, Guv’nor.
Arsenal Employability Programme
I noted with interest in the main post that Arsenal FC has instigated an Employability Programme as part of the Arsenal in The Community project.
This led me to wondering which of our players might be on hand to offer advice to youngsters on how to create the right impression at work.
For example, Francis Coquelin might suggest that a head-down, uncomplaining approach to an initial lack of opportunity, might eventually result in a meteoric rise in one’s fortunes, both in terms of income and esteem.
Seeing him pictured with our captain – in practical terms, at least – made me think that Per Mertesacker could offer good advice on how not to talk down to people.
Wojciech Szczesny would warn against the dangers of the crafty smoke in the toilets whilst in dereliction of one’s proper duties and responsibilities.
Matthieu Flamini could suggest the perfect etiquette required when introducing yourself to someone on meeting them for the first time.
Nicholas Bendtner might even be tempted back as the erstwhile prodigal son who, while not exactly tearing it up in his chosen profession, has acquired huge wealth, Ferraris, Lambourghinis, and even sponsored pants, just by telling everybody that he was absolutely the best in the whole world at whatever it is he does – or doesn’t do.
Similarly, Marouane Chamakh might drop in to offer advice on how to gel with your workmates.
Alexis Sanchez might expose the operation he underwent to have a giant battery pack inserted into his abdominal cavity, that turned him into some sort of human Duracell Bunny, impressing all and sundry with his constant, boundless drive and energy.
Olivier Giroud could give grooming advice and confirm that despite not originally being all that good, he bought himself a lot of time and tolerance in his job simply by being devastatingly handsome. And just look at him now! Everybody does …..
And finally, Theo. Well you didn’t think he’d be forgotten now, did you ?
He has lasted in his job longer than anyone else currently employed in the squad. All this despite being away on countless extended periods of sick leave, and whenever he did turn up for work, getting everyone else to do most of his job for him.
He just put the occasional, dramatic finishing touches to everyone else’s endeavours while all the girls were watching, and they loved him for it – as we would all love to love him for it.
😉
So, QPR surrendered meekly at the Ethiad (where it was apparently “come dressed as a blue plastic seat” day) so they are now also relegated. Won’t be missed by many and may not even be allowed to play in the Championship due to violating the Football League’s FFP regulations. But ‘Arry did of course bail out in time and has all the exuses in the world for not doing better than he did. Well, except for the “I did a fucking lousy job” excuse, of course.
And heh@Trev!
It’s a great initiative and I’m proud to support a club with such a strong community- based ethos. There is a nice piece on Coquelin in today’ s Sunday Times which links to his involvement in the launch. It’s very grounding for first team Premiership players to see the challenges in the local community first hand. These guys live in something of a bubble. It’s good to see the club doesn’t.
I appear to have been successful in the Cup Final ballot. Let’s hope I can sort the ticket out tomorrow
fuck the football
neither a scouser nor a chav……er, be
.
loada beef stew and strong drink
valiant hot chocolate singalong attempts
.
r.i.p. errol brown
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Style aside this is why I’m proud to be a goner
Fuck me let’s try again….
Not only for the football and game we play, this is why I’m so proud to be a gooner.
Thanks also for the shilling in the meter boss I was getting worried.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>