We are delighted to announce that our colleague Samir Khattab, Team Leader in our London hospital projects supporting young victims of violence, has been awarded a Community Champion Award from Arsenal FC’s No More Red anti-knife crime initiative.
Samir, who has helped hundreds of young people out of violence and exploitation during his seven years working at St Giles, received the accolade at Arsenal’s home game against Newcastle on 18 May 2025. He was presented with a No More Red T-shirt and is one of only 200 recipients of these exclusive shirts.
Samir said:
My personal journey meant I navigated many barriers, so this award is so uplifting. It is also an acknowledgement of the families and young people who gifted me the opportunity to positively impact their lives, and I would like to pay tribute to them. Thank you Arsenal, St Giles and the teams in the hospitals I work in. We won’t let up in our efforts until every child is safe.
The Community Champion Awards from Arsenal are given to individuals who have made a positive difference to their local communities.
Samir’s work involves building trusted relationships with young people who are admitted because of violence-related injuries. He provides ongoing support and liaises on their behalf with agencies such as police and schools, alongside their families, to ensure safety and positive progress post-discharge. A five-year analysis at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel demonstrated that re-admission rates at the hospital reduced to seven per cent against a national average of 30 per cent for this age group.
St Giles is a long-standing partner with Arsenal and Adidas as part of their No More Red anti-knife crime initiative. Although not linked, this initiative and award falls in the same week as Knife Crime Awareness Week, a week of awareness raising led by Ben Kinsella Trust and supported by an array of partners. As a partner for this week, St Giles is highlighting the positive impact of our work as well as other organisations’ incredible work in the same area.