BRIGHTON and Hove Albion’s official charity is celebrating ten years of working with one of the largest housing associations in the country.

Albion in the Community and the Hyde Group began collaborating in 2007 with the housing association providing funding for free football sessions delivered by the charity to young people living in areas of deprivation.

The free football sessions are part of AITC’s Premier League Kicks programme which also focuses on enabling participants to gain sporting qualifications and attend awareness workshops covering a range of social issues, including substance misuse, road safety and anti-racism.

And so far more than 5,000 young Hyde residents have benefited from the decade-long partnership, including some who have represented AITC in national and international tournaments.

Others have successfully gained apprenticeships or employment with AITC and Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

Layla Greenyer is a fantastic example of the opportunities created by Hyde and AITC. The 13-year-old loves playing football and regularly attends AITC’s free girls’ football sessions in Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb.

She has also had the opportunity to play competitively as part of an under-13s team that AITC has entered in the Mid Sussex Youth League and been given the chance to gain a range of qualifications through the charity.

Layla, who now wants to be a football coach when she is older, said: “It’s really good as it lets me play football against the boys, gives me something to do when I’m bored and gives me qualifications.”

Martin Schooley, inclusion manager at AITC, is clear that the support from Hyde has made a real difference to thousands of young people across Sussex.

He said: “The Hyde Foundation has been a valuable contributor to AITC’s social inclusion project and in particular the Premier League Kicks project.

“This funding has enabled us to deliver more Premier League Kicks sessions and has helped us to fund existing sessions in deprived areas within Sussex.”