Albion In The Community are set to furlough some of their staff.

The 80% of wages they receive from the government will be topped up so they receive their full salary for this period.

AITC works with 43,000 people each year, with more than 60 different projects and regular football-related sessions.

Although some sessions are still being delivered online, many have been halted.

Albion have pledged to continue to support AITC exactly as they have up to now and the trustees are hugely grateful for the continuing generosity shown by the club in these extremely difficult circumstances.

Sessions which are continuing through the lockdown include live online lessons to people studying a range of further education programmes and tutorials to help cancer-sufferers stay active.

Most of AITC's income comes from the various programmes that it delivers, including from funding partners, and support from the Premier League.

They also rely on fundraising programmes such as a golf day, sponsored walk, Brighton Marathon and other events, none of which will take place in the near future.

Martin Perry, chairman of the board of trustees of AITC, said: “This has been a very difficult decision for the trustees but our over-riding responsibility is to our staff who never cease to amaze me with the skill and the compassion that they demonstrate when they deliver our hugely valuable range of programmes.

“However, we need to ensure the long-term stability of the charity and ensure they have jobs that they can resume just as soon as this dreadful crisis is over. The financial position of AITC is stable, but, like all charities, we have limited reserves and we need to ensure that these can carry us through this crisis however long it lasts.

“We are extremely grateful to the club and Albion chairman Tony Bloom and the club’s board of directors for their offer to continue to provide the support that we need to be able to deliver our programmes and also grateful that the government has devised the Job Retention Scheme which will enable us safeguard the jobs of our staff and ensure the long term future of AITC.

“In addition to use of the Job Retention Scheme the trustees have committed to top-up the salaries of our staff to ensure they receive their full salary, which will give them security and comfort they need and enable them to support their families through this very difficult and uncertain time.”