Albion in the Community is the charitable arm of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. Brighton and Hove Football Club has a dedicated and well resourced Study Support centre at the Stadium. The Study Support Centre employs their own staff, who deliver the project, and current and ex professional players are employed by the project as Mentors to support the learners throughout the process, helping them transfer into employment, further education or voluntary work. Qualifications offered for the participants are:Community Sports Leadership Award (Level 2) and Personal Best (Level 1).

The Mentors include Danny Cullip (ex BHAFC Captain), Guy Butters (Ex-BHAFC, Portsmouth and Tottenham), Richard Carpenter (Ex-BHAFC) and Charlie Oatway (Ex-BHAFC Captain), all well known and very experienced players. They are extremely inspirational and committed characters with the great ability to draw on their experience as players to raise a smile in any situation.

Mentors carry out one to ones, support for progression, and encouragement on an ongoing basis.

Charlie Oatway says; “I have been really fortunate in my football career although it was brought to an abrupt end 3 seasons ago due to a knee injury. While I was a ‘professional footballer the Albion opened their first Study Support Centre and that inspired me to go public about my own personal battle with dyslexia. Now, through Albion in the Community and since my injury, I have a great opportunity to help others who may also be finding themselves in a difficult situation where they have to ‘start again’, for what ever reasons that may be”.

Participants are tracked by mentors after the course for 6 months.

Andy Alexander, Education Development Manager, comments: "The group dynamic is great. These ex-pro’s are looked up to by participants, and they themselves are able to draw on their personal experiences as professional sportsmen to emphasise the key skills of working within a team in an inspirational and often amusing way, promoting a unique and motivating learning experience."

Stepping Stones into employment targets the hard to reach with the aim of re engaging people into learning and achieving a qualification in Sports Leadership or Volunteering. Participants are supported towards sustainable employment or voluntary work as a stepping stone towards employment.

Once on the course, retention and success rates are very good. There is an 80% success rate on the Community Sports Leadership Awards, and Personal Best, a 9 week course of 2 days a week, has target success and retention rates of 80%. Learners have commented; “It has given me the confidence to talk in front of a group”, “I was terrified of working in a large group but after one day I found myself enjoying the experience and meeting new people. Now I look forward to coming every week”, and “I wish the course could be every day!”.

There is a wide age range of participants, from 19- 45, and wide range of backgrounds. Any participant not attending is swiftly contacted by the Admin team to find if there is any support required which the mentors will endeavour to provide to maintain retention on programme. Case studies from Albion in the Community Learners are available to read in the Good News and Case Studies section of the site.