Arsenal and Adidas expand No More Red campaign agreement

Adidas and English professional football club Arsenal have confirmed that they will be collaborating over the “No More Red” campaign this year, just as they did last year.

In order to assist the ongoing efforts made by Arsenal in the local community to protect young people from knife crime and youth violence, the “No More Red” campaign was introduced in January 2022. While there were far fewer teens killed by violent youth crime in 2022 compared to 2021, there were 11,502 knife offences reported in London between January 2022 and November 2022, an increase from the same time in 2021. 

The “No More Red 2023” campaign is extending the involvement of people by inviting members of the public to be part of the campaign by volunteering with any of the following charities: Arsenal in the Community; the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation; Steel Warriors; Don’t Stab Your Future; Box Up Crime; Copenhagen Youth Project; St Giles Trust; Abianda; Octopus Community Network; The Ben Kinsella Trust. 

Full details relating to how each participating charity is offering the shirts can be found here.

On January 9, 2023, for their away FA Cup game against Oxford United, the Arsenal men’s first team will don an on-field version of the uniform to commemorate the second year of the campaign. The No More Red pre-match training uniform and anthem jackets will be worn by the Arsenal women’s team against Chelsea on January 15, 2023.

Commenting on the initiative, Freddie Hudson, Head of Arsenal in the Community, said: 

“Last year we were proud to launch No More Red with adidas. It provided a unique opportunity to highlight almost four decades of our local community work that has helped to keep thousands of young people safe.

“Throughout 2022, we worked in our local area with adidas, and our charity partners to build on our support for young people by providing more high-quality safe spaces to play sport, access to trusted role models and to shine a light on the positive work being done across our community.

“A special thanks also goes to our partners at Islington Council who have supported our work, including the new pitches on Harvist Estate and King’s Square Estate and a No More Red mural at Rosemary Gardens.

“Young people face multiple challenges as they grow up in today’s world and we don’t have all the answers, but we are confident our work makes a significant contribution to the lives of our participants. Our hard work must continue and we’re proud to be building on the achievements of the first year of No More Red by adding more social action projects and a volunteer programme that broadens the reach of this powerful initiative.

“Combining decades of expertise with the incredible support from adidas, will help more individuals make better, informed choices about their future. We’re also sending a strong message that by pursuing your talent and focusing on aspirations, young people can have bright futures and become role models themselves.“

Jessica Neil, CEO of Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, also said: 

“We’re extremely proud to be one of the nominated supporting charities of No More Red, working alongside Arsenal and adidas to inspire a more equitable, inclusive society and to foster opportunities for marginalised young people across the UK.

“Stephen Lawrence Day 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Stephen’s death and a significant moment for reflection. We can never know what extraordinary things Stephen would have achieved in his own name had he been afforded the opportunity, but we can work together to ensure that every other extraordinarily ordinary young person like him is supported, empowered and uplifted to explore the full breadth and depth of their potential.“

Chris Walsh, VP Brand Northern Europe at Adidas, added: 

“We know the issue of violent youth crime does not have a simple solution, but we are passionate about the importance of creating safe spaces for young people to express themselves.

“Sport has an incredible power to bring people together, and it continues to be a great honour to be working with experts at Arsenal and our 10 charity partners to try and create a long-term impact on the lives of young people in London.

“We’re committed to supporting local communities through the adidas Football Collective and No More Red is an incredibly important part of that.“