Help The Hungry: Spurs star Moussa Sissoko backs our campaign after handing out meals to vulnerable fans

‘If anyone in the world has the capacity to help people then I think they must do it,’ French international says

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko has rallied behind our campaign to tackle food poverty by handing out food to vulnerable children who live in the shadow of the club’s north London stadium.

Children were given food by the French national team player at Somerford Grove Adventure Playground – which is run by the Haringey Play Association – with excited fans also queueing up to have hats and flags signed by the football star following a win in the north London derby that saw Spurs retain their position at the top of the Premier League.

Food, saved from the scrap heap by The Felix Project, is being cooked up by the team at With Compassion, who put together hot nutritious meals at our social “dark kitchen” in central London.

“For me it is really important for the club to do this kind of thing because we know the club is a big part of the community,” Sissoko told The Independent. 

“In this world we need to help each other so it’s a good thing to be doing.”

Moussa Sissoko at Somerford Grove Adventure Playground (Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd)

The 31-year-old, who helped with the food drive after a training session, handed out katsu chicken with potatoes and bean and vegetable casserole with quinoa to the children – many of them locals to the area around the club’s state of the art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened last year.

The Haringey Play Association provides support for vulnerable children and their families, and has been working with The Felix Project for a number of years to offer food to those who may struggle to access it. However, senior play worker Tam Carrigan said demand for the service had grown “tenfold” during the pandemic.

“All the children that you see here today have been born in the shadow of this club. They’re all fanatical supporters and the fact that Moussa’s come here today is a huge thrill for them,” he added. “You can see the looks on their faces, they’re just over the moon.”

Alongside throwing their weight behind our campaign, the team at Spurs have worked to tackle poverty in their community through kit donations and by providing food to food banks and community kitchens in the area.

Speaking from the charity’s adventure play area, Sissoko said: “You can see that for some people even when they try their best they are still in a situation where they are struggling, so we’re trying to help them as much as we can.”

He went on to urge those who can to throw their support behind our food drive, adding: “If anyone in the world has the capacity to help people then I think they must do it. Everyone needs the help of each other and in this world we need to stick together and fight together for everything – especially at this time of the year.”

This month we will be delivering food directly to 1,000 people a day through our partner With Compassion. Please donate here to help us do all we can to ensure no one goes hungry this Christmas.