Arsenal bring Bloodmobile to Emirates Stadium

Arsenal have launched a mobile blood donation unit, the Bloodmobile, at Emirates Stadium, a initiative driven by the H.E.R.O Network and developed over the past two years with NHS Blood and Transplant and Islington Council.

Fisayo Roberts, who has led the work, said the project began as a personal conversation about sickle cell. "From the moment we started this conversation, we began a very personal journey that so many people have been invested in," Roberts said. "Sickle cell disproportionately affects those of Black heritage, and for some colleagues at the club, including myself, there are very real stories of how the condition has affected our lives."

The project grew out of a Black History Month session two years ago, when the H.E.R.O Network welcomed sickle cell activist and campaigner Rizzy Akanji to Highbury House to talk about awareness and the role of blood donation in treatment. The idea of bringing a mobile unit to the stadium became reality last week, when the club cut the ribbon alongside the Mayor of Islington.

The club said the launch at Emirates Stadium, in one of the capital's most diverse boroughs, gives it a chance to build on long-standing links with London's Black communities and encourage more people to become blood donors.

The Bloodmobile will return to Emirates Stadium on 20 November, with three further visits planned for the rest of the season. Details of how to donate are available on the club's website.