The timing of the tournament was intentional. Research has shown that incidents of violence by men against women, particularly domestic abuse, increase significantly during major football tournaments, especially when England are playing. By hosting the event at this time, we aimed to use the power of football to help raise awareness of the issue and encourage important conversations.

Around 50 to 60 participants took part across eight teams, including an Arsenal staff team, Islington Council, Jigsaw GC, one of our voluntary sector partners, and several of our regular community groups, including Shape Up, our Women's Beginners Football programme and Freedom from Torture.

Alongside the football, participants had the opportunity to visit information stalls and speak with organisations working to tackle violence against women and girls. We were joined by Our Voice Our Journey, the Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women's Organisation (KMEWO) and IMECE Women's Centre, who shared resources, offered advice and spoke with participants about the support they provide within their communities.

As a football club and community organisation, our role is not to solve the issue alone but to use our platform to make a meaningful contribution. A key focus of our work is prevention, helping young people develop healthy attitudes and relationships from an early age.

Through workshops delivered in primary and secondary schools, as well as wider community programmes, we are working with children and young people to encourage respect, challenge harmful behaviours and promote positive relationships. We are also investing in specialist training for our staff, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to support participants and facilitate these important conversations. Strong partnerships remain central to this work.

Violence against women and girls is a major priority for Islington Council, and Arsenal in the Community is working closely with the council as it develops its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy.

More recently, Islington was selected by the Cabinet Office as a "Test, Learn and Grow" borough, helping to shape the Government's national Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. Arsenal in the Community is proud to support this work alongside the council and local partners as we continue using football as a force for positive change.