If you are a supporter heading to this weekend's match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace you can make a positive contribution to the local community before a ball has even been kicked... and all you need is a bar of soap or some tinned fruit.
Arsenal will be running a food collection point at Emirates Stadium in support of Islington Foodbank ahead of Sunday's game against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium and are hoping to receive more than 380kg of food and other goods.
The Islington Foodbank is looking for donations of the following items: soap, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, tinned fruit, tinned fish, tinned rice pudding, biscuits and pasta sauce. Supporters will be able to donate near the Thierry Henry statue by the Clock End or the club museum across from the North Bank.
A previous event before the Palace game last season saw supporters donate 380kg of goods to distribute to local families. Foodbank volunteer Kathy Weston said: "We didn't quite know what to expect at our first food drive with Arsenal in April, but we were overwhelmed by the generosity and support we got on the day."
Arsenal in the Community development officer, Samir Singh, added: "As a club, we are aware not only of our social responsibility but also that there is real need and serious inequality here in Islington with many people relying on local food banks."
Islington Foodbank, which operates around the corner from the Emirates Stadium and is run entirely by volunteers, distributed nearly 5,000kg of food last year to almost 6,000 people, 1,382 of whom were children.
The Islington Foodbank is open on Mondays and Saturdays between 1pm and 4pm. Demand has grown significantly in recent years from several hundred in 2011 and early 2012.
Islington has one of the highest levels of income disparity among London boroughs, ranking seventh of 32 boroughs in a study by Trust for London.
