Albion in the Community (AITC), the charitable arm of Brighton & Hove Albion, uses the power of the football to provide a huge range of services to the people of Sussex, and beyond.

Founded in 1990, AITC has grown from one employee to a team of over 50 full-time staff, plus hundreds more who work on a part-time basis.

One of the country’s leading community schemes, AITC was awarded Community Club of the Year in 2009, and touches the lives of over 60,000 people, of all ages and backgrounds, each year.

The scheme delivers a comprehensive range of innovative initiatives in the following areas:

Disability

Work with 39 special schools, over 1,800 club players, 120 impairment specific players, provide disability awareness training to over 640 people. 356 disabled people aged 14 to 25 participating in Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

Education

Partnered with six out of seven further education colleges across Sussex delivering over 600 accredited qualifications a year ranging from volunteer training for the unemployed at level 1, exercise programmes for developing volunteers at local football clubs, and apprenticeship training for community coaches.

Environment

Promoting environmental awareness, and empowering the local community with the knowledge and application to make every day gains in water, waste, energy and transport. Deliver water awareness projects in 20 schools in Sussex and projects such as Eco Schools, Big Lemon and Drop4Drop.

Sports Participation

Engage with between 12,000 to 14,000 children – of all abilities, but with a pathway to development and elite centres – per year across the whole of Sussex through holiday courses, Saturday clubs, curriculum courses, residential courses and after-school clubs.

Health

Work in partnership with a range of health sector organisations to deliver a diverse range of life-changing projects such as Be Clear on Cancer, Standing Tall and Make a Change, using football and sport, to improve the health and well-being of people across Sussex and beyond.

Social inclusion programmes

Provide young people and adults, from socially and economically deprived areas, with opportunities through schemes such as Albion Goals, the Connecting Communities Project, Cup Final Project and Kickz.

International

Work with over 1,500 young people and adults in some of the poorest communities on Earth, to tackle HIV/AIDS, promote youth leadership and transform conflict through Albion Alliance, FOR Young Leaders and Football Outreach Coach Education.

The stunning American Express Community Stadium will allow AITC to grow and prosper even further, helping to improve the lives of people across Sussex and further afield.

Follow AITC on Twitter: @AlbionInTheComm