The Arsenal Foundation has helped to fund the Wellbeing Cafe at St George’s Church to run exercise sessions for older residents. Cafe co-founder Catherine tells us how our donation is helping local people stay fit, healthy and safer.
“I’ve lived in Islington for many years. I attend St George’s Church on Crayford Road, and I have various roles there. The Church has long had excellent provision for families and young children but we also heard stories from people who lived on their own, had been bereaved and who were limited in their activities by chronic illness. To create a safe and welcoming space for isolated or vulnerable older adults, Alexandra, Vicar at St George’s, and I set up the Wellbeing Cafe.
“From small beginnings three years ago, with just a few local people, the Wellbeing Cafe has become a firmly established provision in the Church’s week, aiming to reduce social isolation and encourage mutual support in a warm and welcoming space.
“We meet each Wednesday morning from 10.30am in term time, providing tea, coffee and biscuits, and often there are delicious croissants and cakes as well.
“Sometimes I put out board games; sometimes I run a craft activity. Many people are regulars, but all newcomers are warmly welcomed. New friendships have formed and the group is very supportive of each other.
“We conducted a brief survey a while ago to see what else attendees would like us to provide, and a number of people asked for exercises. When you get to a certain age, you see the advantage of trying to keep fit!
“As a result we trialled seated exercises, and they were so popular that we decided to apply for a grant from The Arsenal Foundation to keep it a regular provision. We are really grateful to the Foundation for their generosity. People from all backgrounds take part, with a focus on inclusivity. Despite advanced age in some cases and varying levels of health and fitness, all involved agree they feel much healthier after exercising and stretching safely – amid a lot of friendly laughter! The tutor adapts the exercises so that anyone who wishes can take part at their own level.
“The class lasts about 50 minutes. Exercises include stretching, cardio and breath control, aiming to increase flexibility but also to improve balance, which is vital for older people to prevent falls.
“Some people have been surprised at how strenuous seated exercises can be, because we use resistance bands to work on strength and muscle tone. One woman comes straight to us from another class because she enjoys it so much and she says it helps keep her arthritis at bay.
“After the seated exercises, guests then connect with other local people round the tables to enjoy more chat and delicious, hearty bowls of soup created from surplus food by our wonderful kitchen team, including Nic and Bron. We are an Eco Church going for a sustainability Gold Award, which includes picking up surplus food from supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste and either giving it away or using it in soups.
“We have several Arsenal supporters at the cafe, being fairly close to the Emirates, and in fact we can even hear the roar of the crowd at times!
“Big football clubs are known for amassing vast amounts of money, and it feels very appropriate that some of the wealth generated is ploughed back to support the most vulnerable in our communities through the local charities.”
**What they say**
Some feedback from people in the community who attend the seated exercise classes:
•“Welcoming, warm, supportive and friendly staff and people.”
•“I feel this is a safe place and I don’t often feel safe in many places!”
•“I like meeting with people and I have made some new friends. I’m not particularly religious but this is welcoming and inclusive.”
For more information visit [www.stgeorgestufnellpark.org](https://www.stgeorgestufnellpark.org/).
Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.