Today, Adidas and Arsenal Football Club are launching a new chapter in their No More Red campaign, an initiative first launched in January 2022 to support Arsenal's long-standing work in the community to help protect young people from knife crime and youth violence.
Although the number of young people killed as a result of violent youth crime fell significantly in 2022 compared to 2021, 11,502 knife crimes were recorded in London between January and November 2022, an increase compared to the same period in 2021.
Adidas and Arsenal remain committed to their long-term commitment to creating safe Spaces for young people to play in the capital, providing better access to trusted role models and recognising talented people who make a positive difference in their communities.
Inspired by the overwhelming response to last year's campaign, Adidas and Arsenal have expanded the No More Red campaign this year by inviting the public to become part of the campaign by volunteering with any of its charity partners. These charitable partner organisations are Arsenal in the Community, The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Steel Warriors, Don't Stab Your Future (DSYF), Box Up Crime, Copenhagen Youth Project, St Giles Trust, Abianda, Octopus Community Network and The Ben Kinsella Trust.
As part of the No More Red scheme, everyone who volunteers with any of the above charities and organisations will have the opportunity to receive their own No More Red shirt and will be invited to watch Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium.
Each charity and organization has 10 No More Red jerseys to give away to volunteers, provided they donate their time to volunteer activities. Details of participation can be found on the organizations' websites.
In addition to the volunteer Give Back program, 2023's No More Red campaign will continue to focus on:
1. Investment in safe playing fields, with plans to rebuild a community stadium at Kings Square in Islington later this month;
2. Reward and recognize young local talent who have been identified as having a positive impact on their communities;
3. Develop social action projects with the goal of: bringing together young people from local communities and connecting them with outstanding role models from the creative and sports industries; Offer these young people paid work opportunities to work on creative projects, such as art installations, community events and advocacy, in which they can leave a positive mark.
The shirts will be worn by Arsenal's men against Oxford United in the FA Cup third round as part of the second edition of the campaign. Arsenal Women will support the initiative by wearing their "No More Red" pre-match training and entrance coats before their Derby against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on 15 January.
The jerseys will not be sold and will only be awarded to organizations and individuals who give back to their communities and create a positive environment for young people.
No More Red is an adidas initiative with Arsenal Football Club and part of the adidas Football Collective (aFC) dedicated to creating change through sport.
Through Adidas Football Collective, the brand is teaming up with established community partners, activists and change-makers, as well as professional clubs and athletes, to deliver tangible action. Achieving the goal of creating change through sport by reaching out to those who do not have easy access to resources, including athletes with disabilities, female sports practitioners, and sports teams from the LGBTQIA+ community.
