Arsenal Football Club (together with Adidas) and the actor Idris Elba have initiated separate campaigns against knife crime.
Arsenal Football Club’s men’s first-team wore an all white ‘No More Red‘ kit for the first time in a home fixture when it faced Liverpool in the FA Cup third round on Sunday 7 January 2024.
No More Red was launched in January 2022 to support the long-standing work undertaken by Arsenal FC to help keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence.
Arsenal FC says that the kit will never be for sale, but a new bespoke community t-shirt will be available to buy from 29 January 2024 with 100% of the retail price (£30) being donated in equal proportions to each of the following No More Red charity partners: The Arsenal Foundation, Abianda (Abi Billinghurst & Associates); Octopus Community Network Limited; Box Up Crime; Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation; Don’t Stab Your Future; Ben Kinsella Trust; Steel Warriors; Copenhagen Youth Project; and St Giles Trust.
During 2024, Arsenal FC says that it plans to build on the work done since the inception of No More Red by:
- Investing in more safe spaces to play football with the opening of a third refurbished community pitch at Mayville Estate, Islington in early 2024 – the two pitches refurbished since the launch of No More Red have seen 650 hours of organised activity delivered, engaging more than 500 participants across 200 sessions, as well as more than 9,000 open access hours provided for the local community
- Continuing its mentor-led Social Action Projects which have so far given 83 young people an opportunity to gain experience in creative industries
- Continuing its volunteer incentive scheme alongside the No More Red charity partners where supporters can donate their time to support the charities
- Awarding No More Red shirts to community champions who are making a positive difference, adding to the 79 previous recipients who have been recognised since the launch of the initiative
For more details please see the Arsenal FC website.
Actor Idris Elba has launched a campaign Don’t Stop Your Future and was outside Parliament on 8 January 2024 with a display of clothing from the actual victims of knife crime.
You can watch Idris Elba being interviewed about the campaign on BBC’s The One Show.
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