By Will Jago

Albion in the Community have played a key role in launching a new Football League Trust campaign aimed at improving the health of club's local communities.

Building Healthier Communities is an umbrella campaign that will cover all future health work of the trust and representatives of AITC, highlighting the work they are doing throughout Sussex.

The campaign has the full backing of Mike Penning MP, Shadow Minister for Health.

Speaking at the launch, Mike Penning MP said: "The Football League is incredibly successful in its work to improve the health of its local communities.

"I warmly welcome its commitment to build on that success by launching the 'Building Healthier Communities' campaign.

"League clubs are at the heart of their communities and it is fitting that they are using the undoubted power of football to tackle the big social issues of the day."

Working with over 1.5 million people a year, the Football League Trust uses the power of football to break contemporary social barriers and to build healthier communities throughout England and Wales.

In the health area, Albion already work to deliver projects on: drug and alcohol abuse; sexual health awareness; mental health; ethnic minority health schemes; smoking cessation; improving access to health services; reducing heart disease; combating obesity and improving healthy eating; and raising awareness of general health campaigns.

Albion in the Community Health Development Manager, Stuart Christie was at the launch and told seagulls.co.uk, "The event demonstrated the real commitment the Football League have made to developing health initiatives around the country.

"Here at Albion in the Community we believe that the work we are currently delivering in weight management, smoking cessation and cancer awareness is making a real difference. We look forward to working with the Football League and other key partners to develop our projects and work to build healthier communities across Sussex."