I’ve got some more free stuff to give away today (following the signed Cesc picture, the signed 2006 shirt and the signed Ian Wright poster and football), stuff that money almost literally cannot buy. You might think you can buy anything if you have enough money, but Alisher Usmanov hasn’t managed to buy Arsenal yet, has he? On the other hand, if he offered Stan £5 billion, then the Kronkster might break his semi-legendary silence with a quick “Yee-haw!” or whatever they say in his part of the good ol’ US of A.
But I digress. Free stuff. To wit:
1 Arsenal v Sunderland programme from the first game of this season (note: You can actually buy these), with 1 teamsheet from Arsenal v Sunderland, as issued to the press and rich people in boxes, and as used to see what the teams were. (Possible to buy if you know someone who has one.)
1 Arsenal / Save The Children ‘sports band’. You can definitely buy these; that is in fact their sole purpose, to get money for the charity. I’m a maverick, so I’m giving it away anyway, but don’t let that stop you from donating to Save The Children.
1 Arsenal drawstring bag, invaluable for keeping ‘stuff’ in. Not particularly big or heavy stuff, as it is only about 42 cm by 33 and made of nylon. However, this you CAN’T buy. You can’t buy it because it’s a sample piece of merchandise that the powers that be have decided won’t go into production. So you – yes, you – could be pretty much the only person in the world – that’s THE WORLD – with one of these to keep your small relatively light stuff in. It features, as you can see, the word Arsenal in big letters and the club crest.
The pièce de resistance, as Arsène would say:
1 black vinyl leather-effect Arsenal man-bag. This is about 15cm x 20cm x 8cm, with the club crest in red and a small cannon on either side. It features no fewer than TWO zips, both of which have an ‘open/close’ function; an outside pocket on the back for important paperwork; and a small inside pocket for putting very important small man stuff into. And by ‘man stuff’, I mean your matching black Amex card, not your – well I’m not even going there. You will be the envy of – well, I’ll tell you who you’ll be the envy of: Pedro out of @LeGrove. He loves a man bag, and if you had this he’d love you. But don’t let that put you off. This is also not available to purchase ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE!
How do you get this free stuff, you ask? And why am I giving it away? And where did it come from in the first place?
I’ll answer those in reverse order.
Some of it came from Arsenal, who gave it to me at the Sunderland match to publicise the Arsenal Foundation, the club’s charity initiative. The bags came from @SJC1951, who knows people who produce stuff. Say no more. It’s all legit. The bags are permitted to have the official Arsenal crest on them, unlike the cheap knock-offs you get down the market. Cushty.
Why am I giving it away? Simply because I got it for nothing and there are a lot of Gooners around the world who don’t even get the chance to go to the stadium, never mind feast on free sandwiches in the club’s superbox while watching Arsenal thrash Sunderland 0-0, so I thought I’d share the love by dishing it out, preferably to someone far away.
How do you get it? First let me just tell you about the Arsenal Foundation, a sterling idea to fund charity and community projects. The foundation replaces the ‘Charity of the Season’ idea, to allow Arsenal to get involved in longer-term projects. I may spend a lot of time being sarcastic, but believe me I am genuinely pleased that Arsenal make an effort to support charities and their local community in the way they do. Arsenal’s first match programmes were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Woolwich, so this is a long tradition. In the 1950s there was a regular Boxers v Jockeys charity football match played at Highbury. There have been many more projects since. I won’t bore you with the whole list, but there are now projects in several different countries around the world as well as in the UK. Take a look at the Foundation pages on the Arsenal website for more information.
I’m going to split the goods into two lots: the man bag to one person, and the rest to someone outside the UK (purely because it’s much easier to get things like match programmes if you’re in the UK – though it will probably cost me a fortune to send it somewhere, as they weigh a ton these days, so go and do something good for the Arsenal Foundation to compensate for it!).
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment on this post telling me one fact about the Arsenal Foundation. That’s it! Winners chosen at random.
(Comments are moderated if you haven’t commented here before, so if you don’t see your comment immediately it will turn up later.)
More freebies in the future, so make sure you follow me on twitter: @AngryOfN5
angryofislington 
My Arsenal Foundation factoid is that since 2003 it has helped Teenage Cancer Trust, Treehouse and Centrepoint
The Arsenal Foundation was launched as part of our 125th anniversary
Brilliant!! i know for a fact that the arsenal foundation organised a match in April 1912 where fans raised more tharn £100 for the Titanic Disaster Fund….. i dont know if its good enough for you more learned arsenal fans , but worth a try! thanks! 😀
To celebrate the Club’s 125th anniversary, The Arsenal Foundation was launched to help engage more young people than ever before and continually move forward in growing its community work.
The Hollis House was renovated and improved from funding given by the Arsenal Foundation
Designed to give opportunities to youth who are less fortunate. “Inspire and Motivate”
Thanks a lot Phil for this chance, one fact is that:
Some of the charities which were helped by Arsenal are Teenage Cancer Trust, TreeHouse and Centrepoint.
The Arsenal foundation may have been launched as late as its celebration of 125 years of anniversary but even back 1912 when Arsenal was still Woolwich Arsenal, the club organized a special match so they could raise money for the titanic disaster…..RESPECT!!!
Mccall and Hollins House (Near the birthplace of Charlie George) has had an fully refurbished astro turfed pitch provided to help young people play football in a safe place by Arsenal Foundation.
The Arsenal Foundation contributed to the refurbishing of a football pitch in Suffolk Estate, Hackney complete with floodlights and a great playing surface.
In the 1950s there was a regular Boxers v Jockeys charity football match played at Highbury.
The Arsenal Foundation was launched to celebrate Arsenal’s 125th year and to help engage more young people than ever before
Arsenal Foundation Degree
Football and Community Sports Coaching with Arsenal Foundation Degree
This is a unique foundation degree run in partnership with City and Islington College, London Metropolitan University and Arsenal in the Community. The foundation degree combines learning the fundamental elements of Sports Science with the practical side of gaining coaching experience on Arsenal in the Community projects.
Arsenal Foundation has a tie-up with “Save the Children”
Woolwich Arsenal organised a special match in 1912 the Club raised over £100 for the Titanic Disaster Fund.
The foundation has helped the teenage cancer.trust since 2003
Arsenal has launched its own lottery, the proceeds of which go to the Arsenal Foundation.
The Arsenal Foundation’s Global Charity Partner is Save The Children who together work to help less fortunate children around the world.
Arsenal, 1st team to go on an unbeaten run for 49 game, 1st to broadcast a live match in a telly, longest top team in the premier league. Arsenal, formed in 1886 london, the rest as they say is history.
‘Arsenal’s early matchday programme ‘cards’ were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Beresford Street, Woolwich.’ This shows that AFC was always involved in commnity work and that Arsenal Foundation is just taking that engagement new-higher level.
That’s how I see it…hope it’s ok.
Im not sure if I would ever win any of the prizes, but I will give it a go. 🙂
The Arsenal Foundation was founded to reach youth in the community and provide a platform for them to lead a positive life. Among the projects include the refurbishment of an astroturf pitch in McCall and Hollis House, Islington as well as the Suffolk Estate in Hackney.
Anyway, Im wondering. Where can I get the Savethechildren wristband from? Ive been looking it all over the web, including the Save the Children website, but couldnt find it.
🙂
treehouse is just one of the charities Arsenal has helped.
Arsenal in the Community was born to respond to social unrest in the 1980s.
Arsenal Football Club’s partnership with Save the Children is one of the primary beneficiaries of The Arsenal Foundation.
Arsenal and Save the Children’s combined efforts will reach thousands of children in China and many more across the globe, providing them with quality education to build a brighter future and reach their full potential.
Woolwich Arsenal organized a special match on April 1912 to help the titanic survivors.
First team players of Arsenal have been visiting Holloway Hospital on Christmas since the 1950s to visit young patients. I live in South Africa
It’s a charity organasation who give grants and raise funds to help causes
The Arsenal foundation is a charitable organisation who give grants and organise fund raisers for charities.
The Arsenal Foundation has made a donation of £300,000 to Save the Children over three years; helping to dramatically improve the quality of education of disadvantaged children aged six to 15, in some of Beijing’s most under-resourced schools.
Together, Arsenal and Save the Children will train 200 teachers and 20 head teachers so that they have the necessary skills to plan and deliver improved and age-appropriate lessons for students in China’s curriculum. Even Abou Diaby and Johan Djourou visited the Club’s international charity project last July.
Have a look at Djourou sharing with the children: http://fcbusiness.co.uk/cms/thesite/public/uploads/news_large/1343296400_140.jpg
Arsenal has helped a number of charities such as Teenage Cancer Trust, TreeHouse and Centrepoint, all of which supported education projects to help young people fulfil their potential in challenging times.
Thanks for this Phil – a great way to highlight the good Arsenal are doing on and off the Pitch!
The Arsenal Foundation has replaced the ‘charity of the season’ idea.
I didn’t know that until 5 mins ago, cheers!
The Arsenal foundation was founded as a part of the club’s 125th anniversary. The goal is to help young people fulfilling their goals in life and for develop as human beings. This wasn’t the first thing Arsenal did for the community though. They launched their social program “Arsenal in the community” in 1986 but it started way earlier than that. In 1912 (the year before our mive to Highbury) Woolwich Arsenal played a special match which raised over 100£ (that was a lot more back then!) for the Titanic Disaster Fund!
Was launched as part of our 125 Anniversary celebrations and introduced during the charity ball that year
brilliant stuff! and a great move. thats 1-0 to the arsenal!
A fundraising and grant-making organization, The Arsenal Foundation will help to grow the reach and effect of the programmes the Club supports to help an increasing number of young people across the globe fulfil their potential and help their communities thrive.
“The department’s first education and training project, Action Sport, began in the mid-1980s and over the past quarter of a century and more, Arsenal has extended its educational offering to include numeracy, literacy and language programmes, as well as a number of social inclusion projects that often lead to accredited qualifications.” Well , i´ll be darn!
Arsenal Foundation also helps the ‘Teenage Cancer Trust’.
arsenal played their champions league matches of 99-00 in wembley stadium as highbury was too small for fans and supporters around the globe…
fan from PAKISTAN and if i win the shipping cost can be on me i just want them 😀
I know that the Arsenal Foundation was launche at the club’s 125th anniversary.
You can get an Arsenal Foundation Degree!
To celebrate the Club’s 125th anniversary, The Arsenal Foundation was launched to help engage more young people than ever before and continually move forward in growing its community work.
Arsenal foundation is keen on helping young people.
Since its formation in 1991, the Trust has raised more than £2 million for good causes. Each year the charity distributes small amounts to worthy causes with local hospitals, disability groups, charities for young children and young people featuring prominently among the donations. The Foundation will build on this and donate to causes where a significant difference can be made – particularly to disadvantaged young people.
Woolwich Arsenal organised a special match at which fans of the Club raised over £100 for the Titanic Disaster Fund.
The Arsenal Foundation was launched to help engage more young people than ever before and continually move forward in growing its community work on the Club’s 125th anniversary.
RESPECT!
“The recently opened facility plays host to Arsenal in the Community sessions several nights a week, providing local young people with a safe place to play football.”
The earliest example of Arsenal and their charity was donating money to the survivors of the Titanic…
The Arsenal Foundation was launched as part of the 125th Anniversary of Arsenal Football Club.
Under the Gap Year Internship Programme Project, Arsenal send 2 volunteers, Joe and Milton, to my country Kenya in 2011 where they worked with Alive and Kicking to coaching young kids in Nairobi. Passing on the “Arsenal way’ skills here..great stuff!
The Arsenal foundation was founded as a part of the club’s 125th anniversary.
the arsenal foundation is to support the children with funds and kinds in the pusuit of there both academic and talent excellence..
Arsenal’s early matchday programme ‘cards’ were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Beresford Street
The Arsenal Foundation inspires Youths n Less Fortunate to have a better Future through Sports and Education.THIS FACT is enough to Respect for the work it does and Inspires others to do so.
#RESPECT THRU HARMONY#
As a distant Gooner, I enjoy seeing the players in unusual & personal situations amongst the communits, especially when they finger-painted with the kids or caught swinging on a swing-set by the club photographger, it all reminds you the club is bigger than the game.
Arsenal foundation is partnering with the club in providing and also promoting social services to the needy most especially youths.
In order to understand the true ethos and impact of the Arsenal foundation, you need only familiarize yourself with a case regarding a young man by the name of “Christian”. Trapped in a life of drug dealing and facing serious charges in court, the future truly looked grim. Christian has a daughter and wanted to become a father figure of whom she would be proud of. Christian also highlighted that he wanted to get away from the area he was currently living in and would allow him a fresh start to choose a new path for his life. After gaining Christian’s trust over a period of time, John Keys, a Kickz coach at Rosemary Gardens, Islington, that life of which he had only dreamed of, started to become reality. John Keys put Christian in touch with the Foundation Training Company (FTC) based in Shoreditch. The FTC has a proven track record of providing support to young offenders, and with the possibly of a custodial sentence they wanted to be positive and plan for the immediate future. The introduction to the FTC proved vital as they are trying to re-house Christian out of borough. John Keyes has been alongside Christian all the way through his journey. John placed Christian on a youth work course based at the Emirates Stadium and also helped him achieve a level 1 coaching qualification. The Arsenal Foundation will help to grow the reach and effect of the programmes the Club supports to help an increasing number of young people across the globe fulfil their potential and help their communities thrive.
Arsenal Foundation gives Arsenal a chance to get involved in longer term projects. Thanks for the chance to win!
Arsenal’s early matchday programme ‘cards’ were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Beresford Street, Woolwich, when the Club was located in its original home in south London.
The Arsenal Foundation was launched as part of the 125th Anniversary of AFC. It is great that the foundation make fund rising from arsenal lotto. Hope the charity go for our children who live in far east and other country that are rarely covered by such those of things.
Since 2003, Arsenal has helped a number of charities such as Teenage Cancer Trust, TreeHouse and Centrepoint, all of which supported education projects to help young people fulfil their potential in challenging times.
-eric from boston
Arsenal Foundation funds are used in part to build places for young people to play.
(Hope I’m not too late and thanks for giving this American Gooner a chance!)
Arsenal Foundation was launched as a part of the club’s 125th anniversary.
The Arsenal Foundation is an excellent way to give back to the community. Makes the team and everyone associated with it special.
The Arsenal foundation was founded as a part of the celebrations of the Club’s 125th Anniversary. They work in various areas such as education, homes, sports, health in England and also globally
So far the Arsenal Foundation has had an income of £0.28 million!!!
The arsenal foundation partners Save the children for 2 012/2013 season
I love the way it was started by the community for the community. In 1886 bored munition workers formed a football team. That inspiring decision carries on today with Arsenal always helping out the local community.
The Arsenal Foundation was formed as part of the Club’s 125th Anniversary Celebrations and the Arsenal Charitable Trust now operates under the Arsenal foundation as well!!! Greeting you from South Africa!! Far enough?
The department’s first education and training project, Action Sport, began in the mid-1980s
Im 4rm Kenya and you are doing great job i would love to volunteer 4 you.
Love the man Bag.
In April this year, C. Jenkinson, visited an area that has been blighted by gangs and anti-social behavior, Hackney. There the Arsenal Foundation and other partners, donated to create a newly refurbished pitch.
A great initiative for the wider gooner family!
Arsenal Foundation helps young people to transform their lives with education and sports.Arsenal Foundation also has initaited Save The Children in July 2011 and is one of the major beneficiary of Arsenal Foundation .Arsenal’s matchday programme ‘cards’ were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Beresford Street, Woolwich in early days during their formation. Just before the Club’s relocation to north London, in April 1912, Woolwich Arsenal organised a special match at which fans of the Club raised over £100 for the Titanic Disaster Fund.To celebrate the Club’s 125th anniversary, The Arsenal Foundation was launched to help engage more young people than ever before and continually move forward in growing its community work. A fundraising and grant- making organization, The Arsenal Foundation will help to grow the reach and effect of the programmes the Club supports to help an increasing number of young people across the globe fulfil their potential and help their communities thrive. The Foundation will work hard to raise funds for and materially raise the profile of a powerful combination of charity partner projects including those of Save the Children and other key charity partners
I don’t know anything exclusive about Arsenal Foundation, but i’m sure everybody who reads about it is convinced it’s a good thing for Arsenal supporters
Arsene Wenger is an Ambassador of the Arsenal Foundation.
Arsenal Foundation is a Fundraising and Grants organisation created as part of the 125th anniversary of the Arsenal Football club.
a fundación ha ayudado a la cancer.trust adolescentes desde 2003
Arsenal is the best that happened me.. Am a Nigerian, who is an anonymous philantropist, trying to go global pretty soon. Arsenal Foundation Fund raising is the Ish. Am in
Just Love it! Chiao,….
A grand – Making charity of the Arsenal Football Club
Its first education and training program was called “Action Sport,” and has been around since the mid 1980s.It focuses on maths, language, and literacy programs.
Arsenal’s early matchday programme ‘cards’ were sold for a penny to raise money for Homes for Working Boys in Beresford Street, Woolwich, when the Club was located in its original home in south London. Just before the Club’s relocation to north London, in April 1912, Woolwich Arsenal organised a special match at which fans of the Club raised over £100 for the Titanic Disaster Fund.
I’m a massive Gooner from South Africa! Would love to win anything!
I am a teacher at historic Little Rock Central High, in Little Rock, Arkansas. I love that they are involved in numeracy, and literacy programs as well as children’s health programs. The history surrounding munitions workers finding ways to help their community is inspiring and a great history lesson for young people to know.
The Arsenal Foundation was launched in May 2012 and since then has committed more than £1million to support a range of community and charitable projects in the UK and overseas