As part of their Christmas Truce education project, West Ham United Academy’s U12s invited grassroots clubs from across the local community to take part in a tournament at Chadwell Heath while raising funds for local food banks.
The project celebrates and is inspired by the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce, where British and German soldiers laid down their arms on Christmas Eve to exchange gifts, sing carols and play football during a brief ceasefire.
This year, the U12s invited local grassroots teams to participate in a tournament where the entry fee was a donation to Irons Supporting Food Banks. Thanks to their efforts, donations equivalent to over £1,000 in food were raised, contributing to the local fight against food poverty.
Now in its seventh year, community organisation Big Ideas once again partnered with the Premier League to deliver the Christmas Truce Project. In each edition, U12s from various academies compete to qualify for the Christmas Truce Tournament in Ypres, Belgium, site of three major battles on the Western front. While five teams earn their place through qualification, three more secure their spot by participating in a creative, WWI-themed education project.
This year’s theme, Power in Pals, celebrates the history of the football battalions that formed in communities across the country during the First World War. With the UK being the only major power during the outbreak of the Great War to not have a mass conscripted army, the British army relied on Pals battalions, units consisting of members of the community such as groups of friends, neighbours, or in this case, football fans, who enlisted together.
The West Ham Academy’s project drew inspiration from the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment, known as the "West Ham Pals". During the Great War, one thousand men from east London enlisted together, creating a battalion bound not just by duty, but by pride for the Claret and Blue.
In tribute to their legacy, the Academy Education department encouraged its U12s to design recruitment-style posters, inviting grassroots teams to join a tournament at Chadwell Heath. Instead of a call to war, however, these posters rallied teams to join the “war on food poverty,” with all participants donating to Irons Supporting Food Banks.
On the day of the event, the young Hammers also recreated images from the book Up the Hammers by Elliot Taylor and Barney Alston, which tells the story of the West Ham battalion. Together, the U12s and their local community counterparts symbolically re-enacted these moments from history, linking the spirit of the West Ham Pals to their efforts in supporting those in need.
Reflecting on the event’s impact, West Ham United Academy Head of Education and Player Care Jamie Bather shared how the project aligns with the Academy’s wider mission of community engagement.
"Our recruitment department are always striving to discover the best talent within our local community for our Academy. We have already established a partnership with Frenford FC where we host an emerging talent programme called Emerging Hammers. We’re also developing our relationships with other grassroots clubs such as Hutton FC and Tigers JFC.
"The feedback we received from the coaches, parents and players from the grassroots clubs was really positive, and an experience they will never forget!"
Representing Irons Supporting Food Banks, John Ratomski expressed his gratitude for the players' and family's contributions.
"Thanks to the donations, we’ve raised cash worth over £1,000 in food, and received almost half a tonne of non-perishable items. These will be distributed to local food banks in the coming days."
He added: "We're very grateful to Club staff, parents and supporters of all four teams in a very entertaining tournament for their donations at the event. Cash donated will buy over £1,000-worth of food, and the items donated, almost half a tonne of ambient food, will be distributed to local food banks over the coming days. On behalf of our food bank users, we would like to thank everyone involved. These contributions go a long way."
Every £400 Irons Supporting Food Banks receive buys a food pallet worth approximately £2,000. This year, they are aiming to deliver 20 tonnes of food worth £80,000 to our local food banks, with donations mainly coming from supporters. To learn more about their mission or to donate, please visit ironsfoodbanks.co.uk.
