In 2002 the Sussex Learning and Skills Council provided Brighton and Hove Albion’s football in the community scheme with funding to set up a study support centre for adult learning at the club’s home ground in Brighton. The aim was to use the power of sport to encourage adults back into education in a unique and informal setting, using football as the vehicle for delivery. Since then the education role that the club plays has expanded significantly, with the club obtaining charitable status for its community/education department. The club now also runs the ‘Seagulls Learning Centre’ which is an out of school hours learning area.

The community education work undertaken by Albion in the Community helps to address the need for a higher skilled workforce and higher levels of educational achievement across Sussex. In addition the scheme contributes to local priorities related to:

• lifelong learning, training and skills development
• increasing economic prosperity and employment
• improving the life chances of children and young people

The education programme began with the opening of a study support centre for adults at the football club’s home ground in Brighton. Due to the success of the centre over the next few years several more centres were opened at semi-professional clubs in Sussex. Five remain open.

Each of the centres is linked to the local further education college closest to the particular club. Targeted marketing campaigns are run and local job centres refer potential users to the centres where they receive IT training, basic skills and careers guidance. More recently the range of qualifications that adult learners can study for has been expanded and now includes BTEC in sports exercise and exercise and nutrition studies (level 1 and level 2), a foundation degree in sport, the certificate of event and match day stewarding and levels 1 and 2 certificate in coaching football.

A sports training project has been developed for 16-18 year olds not in education or employment that helps them to gain sports coaching and leadership qualifications. The club has also developed the ‘Playing for Success’ centre, working with local schools to provide help in IT, literacy and numeracy for 9-13 year olds lacking motivation.

By December 2006 the impact was as follows (figures marked *relate to the European Social Fund supported study centre project only):

• 3,070 people had benefited from using the centres*
• over 1,400 had gained a formal qualification or successfully completed a non-accredited short course*
• 1,109 level 1 qualifications and 901 level 2 qualifications had been achieved*
• 175 learners had moved on to further education or into employment*
• of the 12 undertaking the BTEC sports award in 2006, 4 have gone on to study at university and 8 have gained part time employment
• over 40 people have gained the certificate in event and match day stewarding

The centres attract learners who would normally shy away from education, particularly if it is delivered in a formal environment such as a school or college. The profile of study support centre users shows an almost equal gender balance and a broad age range from 16-85.

The Playing for Success scheme helped 242 young people from over 20 schools during its first academic year 2006-2007. Local evaluations have demonstrated that the majority of the young people involved raised their levels of achievement, their confidence and their expectations. One study, undertaken by the City Council, looked at the impact of study support in four Brighton and Hove Primary Schools. The research found:

• a marked improvement in behaviour, with a positive correlation between study support attendance and behaviour
• students identified as under achievers in year 6 made positive improvement
•  the positive impact on the small sample involved was significant

Funding for the adult education programmes since 2003 has been obtained from the local Single Regeneration Budget £59,992; European Social Fund/Sussex Learning and Skills Council £1.88m; European Union Interreg III programme £230,000 and local business sponsors. The total cost of the adult programme between 2003 and 2006 has been £1.94 million. In 2007 five of the nine study support centres continue to run resourced through mainstream funding of their partner Further Education Colleges, as well as Area Investment Framework funding and additional Interreg III funding.

Brighton and Hove City Council and the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Families, Children and Schools) have resourced Playing for Success.

Albion in the Community work with a wide range of partners including:

• Sussex Learning and Skills Council
• local colleges including City College Brighton and Hove, Central Sussex College, Chichester College, Hastings College of Arts and Technology, Sussex Downs College
• semi-professional football clubs across Sussex
• Brighton and Hove City Council
• Playing for Success (Department for Families, Children and Schools)
• local business sponsors