AOK Events and Arsenal Football Club Unite to Create an Unforgettable Experience for Autism Advocates Aaron and David

6 November 2023

Aaron and David celebrate their contribution to the NHS National Autism Program with a trip to the Emirates.

Aaron Senior and David Gill, dedicated members of the NHS National Autism Program, serving as Lived Experience Advisors, recently travelled down to London to watch the Arsenal vs. Sheffield United match. Thanks to a collaborative effort between AOK Events and Arsenal Football Club, they had the privilege of experiencing the club’s brand-new sensory room.

To celebrate Aaron and David’s remarkable contribution to the autism program, AOK Events tapped into its “Make Unforgettable Happen Fund” (MUHF). This initiative, recently launched, is dedicated to supporting exceptional initiatives from people like Aaron and David, while extending a helping hand to teams, individuals, start-ups, and charities across the UK.

AOK Events covered the ticket costs, travel expenses and provided both Aaron and David with match-day shirts. Arsenal offered supplemented tickets and were delighted to show them both around the facilities as described by David below:

EMIRATES STADIUM SENSORY BOX
David Gill – Lived Experience Adviser, NHS England

On Saturday 28th October 2023 Aaron Senior and I were invited by AOK events to visit Arsenal football club for their home match at the Emirates Stadium against Sheffield United. The reason for our invite was to go and review their sensory box and sensory room as two autistic adults which has been opened for autistic children on matchdays. Arsenal football club were very welcoming to us both all day which as a Sheffield United fan I was particularly pleased about, we were shown to our seats and told where everything was for before and during the match.

After arriving at the Emirates Stadium, we were greeted by Sarah who has experience of working with Autistic children in schools. Sarah now works in the sensory box and sensory room on match days. She took us to look at the sensory box. Children using this box could watch the match without feeling overwhelmed by the crowd. There were comfy padded football seats with a pad with different textures to touch, chairs to swing around on, a board with different symbols of words that may be used during the match and a small, padded den to people to go and take time out.

My feedback to Sarah was that a room like this would have helped me on match days when I was a child. I have attended football matches since I was 7 and always enjoyed football but struggled with the noise of the crowd. I eventually got used to this but having a sensory box may have made this experience more comfortable. I particularly liked that the sensory box didn’t block the sound of the crowd out completely but dulled the noise. For some autistic children like me this may help people get used to the crowd noise like I did but for others where this may be too much, ear defenders were available.

We were then taken to see the sensory room. This room had different lights, soft objects for texture soft areas to sit and relaxing games. This room was an area for autistic children to get away from the noise and light at a football match and to take some time out. My feedback again was this room would have helped me when I was a child. It would have been beneficial to have a room to get away from people, light and noise when it all got too much and that I could have decided to be in a crowded environment for as long as I was comfortable.

It is brilliant to see a top Premier League club like Arsenal FC making these changes at their football ground. These facilities will help more Autistic children feel included on matchdays and grow up enjoying football. For me, football has been a big part of my life and who I am, but I got to this point thanks to my dad getting me used to the crowds. It will be great to see more autistic football fans getting the opportunity to go on matchdays and enjoy the beautiful game!

The game finished Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United, with Arsenals Eddie Nketiah picking up his first hat-trick at the Emirates.

Arsenal FC’s proactive measures in setting up these facilities at their stadium serve as a prime example of their dedication to enhancing the accessibility and enjoyment of football for autistic children. But Arsenal isn’t alone; numerous UK football clubs have acknowledged the significance of establishing sensory rooms to cater to their fans. Notable examples include Southampton, West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City, Aston Villa, West Brom, Watford, and Sunderland, among others.

For more information about the “Make Unforgettable Happen Fund”, please visit: https://www.aokevents.com/about/make-unforgettable-happen-fund/