Chris Ward on “amazing” BHAFC Foundation work in Brighton
A local MP was full of praise for the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation after visiting a workshop for children from a local school.
Chris Ward, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, visited the BHAFC Foundation’s Community Hub in Brighton to learn more about the charity’s work in his constituency.
The BHAFC Foundation – an organisation which supports around 35,000 people across Sussex – is heavily involved in Mr Ward’s constituency.
The charity works with 37 schools in the east Brighton area, as well as running more than 25 girls’ football sessions every week.
Mr Ward, who was invited to see a sustainability workshop for children from nearby Queen’s Park Primary School, shared his admiration of the Foundation’s community work.
“It’s fantastic to be here at the Foundation today,” he said, “to have this place right in the heart of Queen’s Park in my constituency is a real privilege.
“To see the number of schools that they’re in, and the support given to disability sport as well, is really tremendous to see.”
The sustainability workshop Mr Ward visited was a part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme, which uses football as a tool to teach primary school pupils key skills.
A long-time fan of the Seagulls, Mr Ward spoke of the pride he feels at seeing his club support his community.
“As an Albion fan all my life, it’s great to see the work they do here,” he said.
“The Albion has a reach that a lot of other organisations don’t have, it’s got a distinctive brand and a link into the community.”
Mr Ward also reflected on the changes he’s seen in the BHAFC Foundation during his lifetime, and how far both the club and charity have come.
“The history of what we’ve seen over the last 30 years is that the Albion is a community club, and the really good thing is that despite where we’ve come from and where we are now, we’ve retained that. You can see that all around here today in how the kids are enjoying themselves, and what the Foundation gives back to the community. It’s been an amazing journey.”
Matt Dorn, CEO of the BHAFC Foundation, said: “We were delighted to hear that Chris was coming to visit our Community Hub.
“It was a pleasure to have him visit and learn more about our community work in his area.
“We run around 150 activities every week in Chris’ constituency and we have a presence in most of the schools in the area, so it’s fantastic to have his support for the work we do locally.”
The BHAFC Foundation Community Hub was part-funded by the Premier League Fans Fund, and the venue is regularly used to host community events and workshops.