Save the Children has been chosen as the first ever global charity partner to premiership football team Arsenal, with no fixed term for the collaboration.

The partnership is a result of the team and the charity's shared mission of helping children to fulfil their potential, said Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children.

Arsenal will support the charity's Families and Schools Together (FAST) and Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play (ESLP) initiatives in the UK and is currently deciding on which international ventures to commit to supporting. FAST helps increase parents' engagement in their children's education, while ESLP assists children in the most desperate need by providing household essentials and educational tools. 

"The focus across all of this will be education," said a spokesperson for Save the Children, who advised that rather than a 'charity of the year'-style partnership, the two parties hope they will have an on-going collaboration. As a result, no monetary targets have yet been set, instead they aim to raise "as much as possible", she said. The main goal is to transform the lives of over three million children a year through education by 2013.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: "We are extremely proud and excited to partner with Save the Children. We have a tradition on and off the pitch of bringing the best out of young people and know the Arsenal badge can open the door to youngsters who may otherwise not be reached."

Save the Children has a broad portfolio of corporate partners which currently includes Lloyds Banking Group, Mothercare, Thorntons and Ikea.  

Arsenal has already provided funding for Save the Children's disaster appeals in Japan and East Africa. Ongoing fundraising activities are still to be confirmed but funds from the team's dedicated Matchday and 'Be a Gunner. Be a Runner' activities will all be contributed to Save the Children. 

Nor-Anne, a nine-year-old who is supported by the FAST initiative, kicked off the partnership on Sunday, delivering the ball at Arsenal's match against the New York Red Bulls.