Councillors Sagal Abdi-Wali, Jenny Headlam-Wells, Meric Apak and Richard Olszewski meet Gunnersaurus

ARSENAL mascot Gunnersaurus turned a council estate in Kentish Town red and white on Monday as a new football pitch was officially opened.

The Gunners and sportswear brand Adidas have been working with the council and tenants to fund the revamped facility on the Peckwater Estate.

And on Monday, children came out to give it a try and see if they could score past the big green dinosaur.

It marks the first pitch that Arsenal have refurbished in Camden as a part of its No More Red, a campaign – first launched in 2022 to help guide young people in north London at an early age away from bad influences and knife crime.

Jack Ironside, senior manager for social inclusion at Arsenal in the Community said: “They’re more than football pitches, they’re almost like youth clubs. It was pretty damaging seeing the pitch out of action – these are important spaces for young people.

“If you look at where we are now local residents don’t have back gardens or that sort of outdoor space so this becomes a really important space for young people both on a physical and mental perspective.”

The new pitch at the Peckwater Estate and, below, children celebrate with the big green dinosaur

Arsenal in the Community, which has been involved in projects in the area for more than 40 years, will be running sessions every Tuesday and Thursday for children and young people aged 8-18 living on and near the estate.

They had been running the sessions there before 2023 but had to stop as the pitch was not safe to continue on.

Mr Ironside added: “This is not a private facility that can be booked and hired for commercial use. This is free open access for the community and that’s very important.”

Sssh don’t tell anyone – June Dodds supports Chelsea, but she welcomes the contribution from the Gunners

June Dodds who has lived in Peckwater Estate for 67 years said: “People don’t realise how lucky they are to live on this estate. We’ve got one of the only free football pitches in Camden and that’s why it gets used so much.

“When I was a kid on the estate up until I was in my mid-20s it was just a concrete slab with no fences. Windows would be smashed everyday – you can imagine the rest. It’s fantastic kids can use it and parents can watch, it’s an asset to the estate.”

Council leader Councillor Richard Olszewski said: “It’s given that extra support to young people to encourage their passion for football and you never know where it might lead.”

Even housing chief Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali – a die-hard Spurs fan – could not help but applaud the Gunners’ contribution.

She said: “Residents made us aware they wanted the pitch back and that it wasn’t working in really great condition. A massive part of our estate’s mission is to promote people living healthier lives and spaces like this do exactly that.”