Arsenal and Chelsea to donate funds raised from Community Shield match to Grenfell Tower victims

It’s expected the game will raise in the region of £1.25m

Arsenal and Chelsea met in last month's FA Cup final at Wembley (Getty)

Arsenal and Chelsea have pledged to donate funds raised from their FA Community Shield meeting in August to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

It’s expected the game will raise in the region of £1.25m, all of which will be shared among those affected by the fire.

Many families of victims and survivors will also attend the match as guests, along with the emergency service personnel who battled the fire in which 79 people are feared to have died.

Supporters of both clubs will also have the opportunity to donate an optional £5 when they buy their tickets.

In a statement released on the Arsenal website, chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: "With the rest of the nation, Arsenal Football Club was shocked by the incident at Grenfell Tower and our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.

"The club stands side by side with Chelsea in reaching out to the community and expressing our support and solidarity for those who have lost friends and family, their homes and their sense of security in the wake of this tragic event.

"We also pay tribute to our city's emergency services who showed immense courage and bravery. We play the FA Community Shield on Sunday, August 6, with the victims and the heroes of this terrible tragedy close to our hearts."

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: “It was with profound shock and sorrow we learnt of the tragedy that befell so many people in Kensington last week. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives and our deepest sympathy goes out to anybody who may have suffered in any way due to the dreadful fire at Grenfell Tower.”

At least 79 people are feared to have died in the fire (Getty)

The football season's traditional ‘curtain raiser’ has a long tradition of raising money for a variety of charity and community organisations.

The fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 6 August and pits the Premier League champions, Chelsea, against the FA Cup winners, Arsenal.