Brighton fans encouraged to wear blue and white for charity

Albion in the Community (AITC) is running its blue and white week from Monday, June 27 to Friday, July 1.

The charity was set up more than 30 years ago and was started by former chief executive of the club Martin Perry.

The charity is urging people to become a “community champion” by supporting it with a five-pound-a-month donation.

Albion in the Community provides football with a wide range of people living with disabilities

Doing so will also give people the opportunity to enter into a draw where they get the chance to win a free home shirt signed by the men’s first team.

Martin Perry, chairman of the board of trustees for AITC, told The Argus: “We want to increase awareness about what AITC do, all the programs we run.

“It’s a fun week geared towards fun activities, wearing blue and white or Albion shirts. We want to raise money but also encourage people to join our community champions scheme.

Martin Perry has been involved with the club since 1996. Picture from Paul Hazlewood/BHAFC

“That is a regular giving, it doesn’t need to be much money but if people can afford it, that’s very helpful for us.

“AITC is a separate entity, we’re entitled to use the club name and badge. But it is a separate entity so therefore is funded separately.

“The club provide us with office space and look after us but we have to raise a significant sum of money to run a number of the programs, particularly those geared towards people living with a disability.

Gully will be making surprise appearances at several schools

“Football is very powerful, the simple vision behind AITC was if a player came to help a child with their maths or English, they would engage. It’s the fact we can use the power of football to engage young people and get them interested.

“We built it on that philosophy and it has just grown and grown.”

Schools around Brighton and Hove will be taking part in the blue and white week, while Albion mascot Gully will also be making surprise visits at some schools.

Steven Alzate meeting some Albion fans

The charity has 25 different programs aimed at people who live with disabilities every week.

Martin added: “We have to raise funding to be able to provide the coaches and coaches with specialist skills to provide that service.”

For more information on its community champion scheme, visit Albion in the Community's website.