Celebrating Farouk, a true champion of his community

A young man from Tottenham, who has been supported by the Club, was recently presented with an award in recognition of his outstanding professional achievements and service to his community.

Farouk Suleiman-Fatai received the inaugural ‘Alumnus of the Year’ Award at an end of year ceremony held at London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET) – the Club-sponsored Sixth Form on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium campus.

Farouk was chosen for the award on the basis of his extraordinary achievements in the face of adversity. From eight-years-old, he was brought up in care and came to the Club’s attention through ‘To Care Is To Do’ – a programme run by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to support children in care and care leavers in our local community.

The programme helped Farouk to stay motivated in his education, which led to him excelling in his GCSE’s and securing a place at LAET, where he studied Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Economics, whilst also working as a Customer Service Assistant in the Spurs Shop at the Tottenham Experience.

Farouk progressed to the University of Bristol to study Economics & Management, graduating in 2024. During his studies, he was awarded a place on an investment banking firm’s scholarship programme, going on to land a full-time role as a Portfolio Analyst.

Farouk continues to stay close to LAET and the wider community, participating in talks and networking events at the school, and was part of a group of the school’s alumni who met King Charles III during the monarch's visit to celebrate the Club’s positive socio-economic impact on our local area.

Farouk has also supported a number of fundraising initiatives for local charities, including taking part in a Tough Mudder challenge with LAET staff and alumni to raise money for Tottenham Foodbank.

Upon being surprised with the award by our Ambassador, Ledley King, Farouk said: “It is a bit of a shock to the system! I genuinely didn’t expect it – I thought I was just coming to an alumni event today! I am extremely grateful, and it was such a pleasant surprise to be given the award by Ledley. I am lost for words.”

Ledley added: “I first met Farouk ten years ago, when he was 12 years old, at one of our Foundation events, so it is amazing to see what he has achieved since that time. It was an honour for me to present him with this award.”

LAET prioritises local students most likely to benefit from an academically rigorous curriculum and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

The school is delivered with the financial support of Tottenham Hotspur in partnership with Highgate School, who provide educational support. Since its opening in 2017, the majority of students have progressed to leading Russell Group Universities, with 77 winning places at Oxford or Cambridge.

It forms part of the Club’s wider programme of stadium-led regeneration in north Tottenham, delivering £344m Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy and supporting 3,700 FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs every year.