Bethany England returned to a Tottenham Hotspur Foundation session for local cancer patients for a third time in as many months today.
Our women’s first team captain is also supporting a Foundation care home session as part of a personal commitment to help drive healthier and happier lifestyles in the local community.
She is spurred on by her own experience of caring for her grandmother and having seen the impact of cancer on other family members.
Having struck up friendships with Foundation staff and participants, Bethany is now introducing team-mates to help support them, with Clare Hunt joining today.
Bethany said: “My family has gone through a lot of hardship with cancer, and so if I am in a position where I am able to give back, that is exactly what I am going to do. The Foundation have so many different programmes and areas that they support in the community, I cannot think of anything better than giving back to people going through hardship.”
Clare said: “It is wonderful to be here with Bethany and see the impact that the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation has had in the community. It is great to be here, meet new people and I am keen to continue working with the Foundation to support others.”
The Foundation is dedicated to tackling health inequalities across Haringey and Enfield, where significant deprivation impacts residents.
Its cancer exercise group runs weekly in Enfield as part of its flagship Shape Up with Spurs programme that has transformed the lives of countless thousands of people since launching in 2015.
Bethany was moved by a Q&A session with participants when she first visited the group, returning only around three weeks later to drop off donations of dumbbells and resistance bands that she had collected from her personal network.
Bethany also visited Lorenco House care home near to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Christmas, joined by team-mates as part of the Club’s festive community visits. She is intending to return and support delivery of the Foundation’s Active Memories sessions that give residents the opportunity to enjoy seated exercise and help them recall memories.
Adam Millar, Foundation health and wellbeing programme coordinator, said: “Today was another brilliant session with Bethany, whose empathy and commitment are clear in the relationships she’s built with participants, and it was great to welcome Clare, who was also fantastic amongst the group.
“We’ve seen a real shift in levels of activity and engagement since Bethany started joining us. Through her visits, she’s advocating for a holistic approach to health, aligning perfectly with our programmes that focus not only on physical wellbeing, but also mental and social wellbeing.”
The Foundation’s Shape Up with Spurs and Active Memories programmes are made possible by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Fund.
Administered through the Premier League Foundation, the funding helps football clubs tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.
Support also comes from the People’s Postcode Lottery and individuals who fundraise for the Foundation. To find out more about how you can help, click here.
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