FOUNDATION VOICE TEXT: The Arsenal Foundation has helped to fund Make-Do Play, a local community interest company that offers free play sessions for children of all ages. Islington resident Sam tells us how much his daughter Clara loves the sessions for their variety and sheer fun: My wife Hannah and I have lived all our lives in north London, and we settled just between Archway and Crouch End where we were joined by our daughter Clara, who is now two and a half years old. As a family we spend as much time as we can out and about, exploring the various parks, playgrounds and toddler activities the local area has to offer. We found out about Make-Do Play through word of mouth. There are a lot of young families in the local neigbourhood and a lot of toddler activities, but nothing like Make-Do Play – it’s basically one big adventure playground for kids! The sessions are unstructured and child-led, and involve a lot of outdoor play with loose parts, messy play, crafts and woodwork. We’re there pretty much every week it’s on, which is most of the year. The sessions run for basically the whole morning, but unlike other activities and classes, which tend to be much shorter and highly structured, it’s very flexible and you can drop in and out whenever you want. Particularly for the younger kids like Clara who are all on slightly different schedules, the flexibility is really helpful. People ask us what Clara does there and the best answer is, “What doesn’t she do there?!” The beauty of the sessions is that the kids have so many options of activities to do, and toys, objects and tools to explore, all while using their imagination – and they change every week! Clara has definitely built an affinity to the mud kitchen and the watering can, though. Anything involving sand and paint is always a big hit as well. Dom and Kerri, who set up Make-Do Play and run the sessions, are incredible – not only do they put on and organise these amazing sessions every week, they’re so welcoming to the kids and adults alike, and they do it all with a big smile (although I’ve never been there at the end when they have to tidy up after 20 kids have been causing havoc for three hours!) The best thing about it is how different it is from other children’s groups. We’re quite spoilt for choice when it comes to local activities for children, but there’s nothing at all like Make-Do Play. The sheer variety of activities for the children to engage in and learn from, the independent and free structure of the sessions, whatever the weather, really makes for endless fun for the kids. The beauty of it is that as Clara has grown she’s taken different things from the sessions. When she was a bit younger it really helped her coordination and physical development, and more recently the increased interaction with the other kids has really helped her social development and confidence. Being able to run around and let her imagination run free is so valuable but also quite a rare opportunity. Watching her just have fun, express herself and discover new things is a real privilege. I’m a lifelong Gooner and long-time season ticket holder, and I’ve been lucky enough to be going to Arsenal games with my dad since I was five years old – over 30 years now. It goes without saying that Clara’s already on the waiting list! Football is an increasingly global business, but clubs need to continue to support their most important fanbase: the local communities where they have the ability to make a significant impact.