Arsenal and Save the Children Highlight Trauma Program at Davos
January 24, 2020
Aiming to raise the profile of the impact conflict and violence has on the mental health of children and their families, English football club Arsenal, and their charity partner Save the Children, hosted a panel on sport's role in adressing trauma at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
The panel discussion, “Children's Right to Recovery: I am the future”, focused on how the sports sector can provide leadership, effective partnerships and help leverage greater investment from the private sector to support children affected by conflict and aid mental health and wellbeing.
The pair have been working together on the Coaching for Life campaign, which has combined Save the Children’s expertise in child protection with Arsenal’s experience of work in its local community.
Kevin Watkins, Chief Executive at Save the Children said: “We know that mental distress can affect children in a number of ways. It can lead to changes in behaviour, feelings of anxiety, depression, hopelessness and worthlessness...this distress can have life-long effects and has the potential to affect children’s long-term physical and cognitive development.”
“Coaching for Life has been working in Jordan and Indonesia since 2018 to help and support some of these very vulnerable children. Save the Children has been committed to protecting children for 100 years and now thanks to The Arsenal Foundation, we can continue to empower and protect girls and boys through the sport that they love.”
The Coaching for Life campaign’s first phase aims to engage over 4,000 children in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp as well as those affected by poverty and violence in Jakarta’s slums in Indonesia. Co-created by The Arsenal Foundation and Save the Children, it has trained 14 coaches in Syria and 33 in Indonesia to deliver the programme across five pitches in Jordan and seven pitches in Indonesia.
The event in Davos, drew on the campaign and speakers will include Save the Children’s CEO Kevin Watkins, Svenja Geissmar, the Chair of The Arsenal Foundation and Dr Leslie Snider, Director of MHPSS Collaborative for Children and Families in Adversity. Children who take part in the Coaching for Life programme in Za’atari Refugee Camp also contributed to the discussion and talk about their personal experiences.
Chair of The Arsenal Foundation, Svenja Geissmar says that Arsenal’s work in its local community has grown significantly over the years, and their partnership with Save the Children, in combing their global infrastructure and expertise has made a difference through the Coaching for Life project.
“Our work and expertise, combined with the unique power Arsenal has to reach people, has responded to the needs of vulnerable young people and found a way to reach them. Through trusted coaches, carefully developed projects and being a constant presence and source of support and inspiration, Arsenal has supported thousands of young people."
Beyond Sport attended The World Economic Forum in Davos this week to join in discussion around the role of sports and business in achieveing the Sustainable Development Goals. You can see some of the highlights on the week's conversations from our Twitter feed here. And be on the lookout for our upcoming recap on the takeaways from the Forum discussions.