Supporting local residents living with cancer

Ben Davies gave his support to a new Tottenham Hotspur Foundation programme delivering health and wellbeing sessions to local residents living with cancer.

The sessions, which are an extension of the Foundation’s existing Shape Up With Spurs programme, are delivered in partnership with Enfield-based charity, The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre.

They consist of chair-based, low impact physical activity, under the guidance of Foundation health instructors, for people at various stages of their cancer journey.

The sessions also enable participants to engage in conversation and enhance their social wellbeing as well as improve physical outcomes, with friends and family members also invited to take part.

Ben dropped into a session held at The Nightingale, meeting participants and staff, taking part in the chair-based exercises and answering questions around health and nutrition as a professional athlete.

Ben said: “The session was challenging and fun - it was great to be involved with the group. As players, it’s great to come out to the local community and see the work that the Club is doing. Something as simple as an exercise class can make so much difference to people - it brings you into the present and provides a boost, even for a short period of time. One of the main reasons team sport is great is that you enjoy the highs together and in the tough times the team have your back. Everyone here is in high spirits and you wouldn’t know this was a cancer support centre.”

Adam Millar, Programme Coordinator, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “We’re looking to reduce health inequalities across North London by providing free health activity sessions for different groups in different communities. Everyone is grateful and excited for the sessions, which makes our job extremely satisfying. People may expect a free session to be quite basic, but it’s far from it – our level of delivery is high quality. We aim to make sessions inclusive and fun so people keep coming back – long-term change is what we’re looking for.”

Lucy McGinn, The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre, said: “It’s not just people who are diagnosed with cancer that are affected - it’s family, friends, colleagues as well. We provide physical and practical support free of charge, from fitness classes to massage, as well as emotional and peer-to-peer support. People can come here and essentially get a break from cancer.

“The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation sessions bring a lot of laughter and they’re really engaging. It’s a big group and people have come away from the sessions saying they’ve had a good workout and it’s been fun. Fitness is so important for anyone, especially those who have had a cancer treatment in order to get back to feeling themselves. I’ve seen a difference in the participants with the big smiles they have on their faces at the end of a session.”

The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballer’s Association. Administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the funding helps football clubs to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.

To find out more about the wide range of free Health and Wellbeing sessions delivered by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation across the local community, please contact THF.Activities@tottenhamhotspur.com