Albion in the Community (AITC), the official charity of Brighton & Hove Albion, was recognised once again as the best football community scheme, whilst the club also came second in the category for ‘Best Football Club Hospitality’ award and third in the ‘Football Club Innovation’ award.
AITC was one of half a dozen finalists in the Best Football Community Scheme – Premier League category and was awarded the prize at a ceremony in London last night. It is now the fourth time in five years that the charity has won this award, confirming its status as one of the leading football charities in the UK and how highly AITC is regarded within this prestigious football industry showcase.
With a reputation for delivering pioneering and innovative programmes that inspire people to achieve their potential across Sussex, this award confirms how the power of football can impact local communities. AITC works in some of the most economically and health deprived coastal communities in the UK, making a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of tens of thousands of local people every year.
Executive director of the football club and AITC Chair of Trustees Martin Perry said, “It feels fantastic for the charity’s work to be recognised in this way and it’s an award for all of our wonderful staff.
“We reach out to so many people in Sussex every year and some of the work Albion in the Community does is transformational and has a real impact on people’s lives.”
A recent independent social and economic study found AITC creates an annual social impact valued in excess of £28million, all from an income of just over £3million. Put simply, for every £1 of income, the charity creates £8.84 of positive impact for local people.
It is a record which everyone connected with Brighton & Hove Albion is incredibly proud – including the club’s supporters. In the most-recent Premier League Fan Matchday Survey, the charity’s work again led the way in how fans of Premier League clubs viewed their community schemes.
The survey found 95% of Albion supporters felt the club made a significant contribution to the local community (compared to a Premier League average of 77%), with 94% feeling that the work was an important part of the culture and philosophy of Brighton & Hove Albion.