Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, as one of the biggest clubs in England, recognises that it has a rare opportunity to help people in the local area. All big clubs do – and this article is about recognising the great work that Spurs, via the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, do for the community.
The eye-watering amounts of money that is involved in football, particularly the Premier League, doesn’t sit well with some people, which is absolutely fair enough, especially as so many people are struggling at the moment. It’s important to look a bit deeper though – football clubs have an unmatched profile and pool of resources, which if used effectively, can change lives for people.
So we’re going to take a quick look at the great work that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club does for people – to focus on the positive things that come out of Premier League football. And at the end of this blog, we will let you know how you can get yourself down to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to support the team, with the ultimate matchday experience – Spurs Hospitality Packages.
The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation was established way back in 2006, when Spurs were a very different club. Martin Jol was the manager, and Robbie Keane was the top scorer – it was the year of the dodgy lasagne, for those of you that can remember that far back!
Anyway, with the backdrop of all that chaos, Spurs launched the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation as an independent charity, which was boosted by a £4.5 million investment from the club itself (6% of the club’s annual turnover back then – I did say that it was a long time ago…!). It was born out of the club’s community scheme, which had already been helping people throughout North London – they just wanted to build on that.
Initially, the foundation was focused on programmes to get young people active and provide them with opportunities to play various sports, mainly football. Since then, though, the remit of the charity has expanded to much more – let’s take a look at the many ways that the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation helps people.
What does the Tottenham Foundation do?
There are four main areas that the Foundation focuses on these days, so let’s take each one individually and delve a bit deeper. We’ll start with that original aim:
Community Cohesion
Now this started out as helping young people improve their footballing skills, but it has grown much bigger than that. Around 6,500 players are trained by the club’s global development programmes, which now take place all over the world.
Some examples of the programmes here are Kicks, a Premier League initiative that aims to engage with young people that are at risk of slipping out of education. Spurs target some of the most disadvantaged areas in their community, to help those young people unlock their potential.
There is also a whole division of the team there to create opportunities for women and girls in the sport. Girls over 11 years old, of all abilities, can sign up to a course and take part in sessions that focus on fun, while also hoping for long-term participation.
They also work with Slum Soccer, a charity in India, which aims to steer children towards playing football and away from a life of unemployment and crime.
Promoting healthy lifestyles
The Foundation as a Health & Wellbeing team with the sole aim of improving the physical and mental health of people that live in the local community, with particular effort in connecting with ‘hard to reach’ people – those that might not ordinarily sign up to a scheme like this.
They do this through a number of programmes:
- Get Up and Go: Chair-based exercise classes that are held every week, in conjunction with Metropolitan Housing.
- Shape up with Spurs: Combining exercise and nutrition, this is a 10-week programme in partnership with Sport England and Haringey Council. This is open to anyone that is overweight or obese in the area.
- Community NHS Health Checks: Aimed at reducing the life expectancy gap in North London, this programme is aimed at people aged 40-74, who are registered to a doctor in the Haringey area. You can have your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight checked, which can help to identify a whole host of potential health risks – to catch them before they happen.
Improving achievement
Tottenham Hotspur FC also work with local schools to help support the way teachers plan and deliver PE lessons. Working in partnership with the Premier League Stars programmes, this initiative is focused on improving the confidence of the students that take part in PE lessons. The idea is that if they can make these lessons fun for everyone at that early stage, it will encourage a healthy love for sport as they grow up – encouraging exercise.
The remit stretches further than just PE, though. Football is used as a gateway to many other subjects like maths, science and English. The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation provides free resources to schools to aid these lessons.
Supporting people with disabilities
Throughout everything the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation does, one fundamental aim is behind everything they do – “all our programmes are inclusive and provide the appropriate opportunities for all participants across our communities”.
Whether people are struggling with mental health conditions, are disabled or have learning difficulties, it is the aim of the Foundation to give them equal opportunities, especially with physical activity, education and training.
Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Job Creation
While the main activities and aims of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Foundation are listed above, there is another section that we think deserves looking at – the fact that they have created plenty of jobs for people in the area.
When the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was in development, 2,726 people from the local area were hired in new jobs. The club and foundation worked closely with Haringey Council to ensure that wherever possible, local people filled positions that were involved in the development.
More than that though, the club also holds regular jobs fairs which help connect people with employment opportunities, as well as employment drop in sessions and skills sessions to earn qualifications and build up confidence when applying for a job.
These are life changing opportunities for some people, and it’s great work that is a credit to Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Tottenham Hotspur VIP Tickets and Hospitality
The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is just another reason to get behind your team. If you want to attend a Spurs game, then we might be able to help you out. We offer a range of hospitality packages, with a variety of benefits. Here are a couple of our favourites:
Premium Experience
This package combines a lively atmosphere with a healthy dose of luxury hospitality to create a matchday experience to remember!
You’ll have access to the Premium Tier for up to three hours before kick off, where you will be able to enjoy unlimited bowl food, and access to a premium cash bar. There will be live entertainment there for you, and you may even get a chance to meet a Spurs legend!
When kick off rolls around, you’ll take your (luxury padded) seat on the Premium Experience Tier, for incredible views of the game. At half time you will be treated to a free drink, and then after the final whistle you can return to the lounge for some sweet treats – and wait for the traffic to die down!
Stratus
This package is something very special. Again, you’ll have access to your exclusive Stratus Lounge for up to three hours before kick off. You’ll be greeted with a welcome drink, and then have a huge choice of food from the grazing buffets. There is also a complimentary bar.
For the game, you’ll have the best seats in the house – on the Upper Tier, right on the half way line. Incredible views of the pitch, you can see all the play develop.
After the match, you’ll have access to your lounge for another two hours, where you can take in the incredible panoramic views of London. A day to remember, whatever the score.
If you are interested in any of these packages, have a look at the upcoming fixtures on our website, and pick out your preferred date. Then, all you need to do is get in touch with us and we will take it from there.
