Community

AITC launches Cost of Living Appeal fundraising campaign

AITC don’t think money should be a barrier for any child who wants to enjoy football.

By Jake Heath • 31 March 2023

By James Boardman
Mum Susan and her four kids are one family that directly benefits from AITC's support.

Albion in the Community has launched a fundraising campaign to help support people in Sussex through the cost of living crisis.

Times are tough and families are having to cut back more than ever, which means that there are children all over Sussex whose parents can’t afford to pay for their football sessions.

AITC don’t think money should be a barrier for any child who wants to enjoy the beautiful game. That’s why they run free Premier League Kicks sessions in towns and cities across Sussex, giving children from deprived areas a positive activity to look forward to every week.

They also have a bursary which families can use to help fund our paid-for football activities. AITC can only provide this help because of the generous support that Albion fans provide year after year.

Additionally, AITC’s disability football programme is heavily subsidised, making disability football affordable and accessible for as many people as possible.

To help raise money for this, AITC has launched a Cost of Living Appeal which will run throughout April.

The campaign will kick off with the men’s first team game against Brentford on 1 April, which is Albion in the Community’s official Community Matchday.

Click here to help us provide access to football for all – donate to our Cost of Living Appeal.

Moulsecoomb based Susan and her four children are one family that directly benefits from AITC's support.

By James Boardman
Susan says Premier League Kicks has been a lifeline for her boys.

Susan’s three sons – Brady, Aidan, and Oscar – are completely football-mad Albion fans and all three of them attend AITC's Moulsecoomb Premier League Kicks football sessions, which are free to attend for any child in the local area.

Susan says Kicks has been a lifeline for her boys. Last year, the boys’ dad sadly passed away. It was a devastating time and a huge challenge for the family.

His illness put a lot of strain on the boys, and Susan says that Kicks was a place they could go and forget about everything for a couple of hours. “When their dad was ill they were at home a lot caring for him, but on a Thursday they could go to Kicks and just enjoy it. It took pressure off them. Thursday was their time.," Susan reflected.

All three of her sons play football all the time, which Susan happily encourages.

“My kids properly love football, all of them. They hate missing it. It’s football mad in this house, they all love it. Brady has had a ball in his hands since he could walk. They look forward to football, and it takes their mind off things. They’ve had [Kicks coach] Sadie not just as a coach, but as a supportive figure.”

"For Brady in particular, who has learning difficulties and epilepsy, Kicks has been transformative. I have noticed a massive change in Brady since he started playing at Kicks. Brady has special needs, and he used to come home from school, go straight upstairs and straight to his room. He wouldn’t really speak to kids his own age.

“Since starting Kicks he’s had a massive change. His confidence has gone up, and he’ll happily speak to kids his own age. He’s come out of his shell a lot. Kicks has been brilliant to him. Sadie always asks Brady how he is, if he needs any help. I just think it’s wonderful what they do. They do so much for the community."

You can support AITC by donating to their Cost of Living Appeal fundraising campaign. Donate here.