AITC win Best Football Community Scheme award
Albion in the Community (AITC) has been recognised once again as the best football community scheme at the national Football Business Awards event in London and was awarded the prize at a ceremony in London hosted by BBC Match of Day presenter Mark Chapman.
AITC was one of half a dozen finalists in the Best Football Community Scheme – Premier League category along with Leicester City in the Community, Newcastle United Foundation, Everton in the Community, the Saints Foundation and the West Ham United Foundation.
Staff from the charity attended the ceremony to receive their award and 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.
Matt Dorn, CEO of Albion in the Community reflected on the evening; “We were well aware of the high standards of all the other charities nominated for this award. For us, just being on the shortlist again shows how highly regarded our work is on a national and local level. Everyone in the charity has great belief in the impact and quality of our work and we were thrilled when we heard we had won again!”
The Football Business Awards, now in its eighth year, celebrate the essential role that business plays in football and the positive impact that football has in the community.
Of Albion in the Community’s win, the judges commented: “This was a very experienced well run and successful scheme which continues to do great work in their community. Working in some of the most economically deprived communities in the UK, the charity makes a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of thousands of local people. A recent independent social and economic study from Albion in the Community suggests that this work creates an annual social impact valued in excess of £28 million, all from income of just £3.2million. An excellent entry!”
The work of Albion in the Community continues to touch thousands of people’s lives across Sussex, using the power of football and the brand of Brighton and Hove Albion as a tool to engage people in local communities and provide opportunities for children, young people and adults to thrive.
Matt Dorn commented on the reasons he believes the charity has been so successful over the years: “Football has an incredible reach into our communities. It is such a simple sport to play and has such a powerful draw to bring people together. At AITC we are able to use football as a tool in areas of health promotion, academic learning as well as participation in sport. It provides a fantastic platform for us to support people in whatever challenges they may be facing in their lives”.
“Our passionate and dedicated staff, volunteers, partners and fans who donate to the charity are the real reason behind our success though. It’s because of them that we are able to reach over 40,000 people a year through our wide range of programmes. I’d like to personally thank them all for their support and to share in our success”.
“I meet so many of our beneficiaries each year and I know first-hand from their stories how transformational the work we do is, and how important football can be in inspiring hope.”