HE MAY be suffering from a serious illness.

But devoted Albion fan Ken Valder is not letting follicular lymphoma get the better of him.

He was voted the club's James Brynin Fan the Season at the Seagulls' award ceremony on Thursday for his volunteer work on matchdays.

Ken has been a Here To Help worker at the Amex since 2015, and travels to support his team home and away despite suffering from the form of cancer.

At the bash, a friend said Ken once underwent chemotherapy on a Thursday and attended a game three days later.

When announcing Ken as the winner, co-host Richard Reynolds said: "This year's winner is not only Albion through and through, he's also a very helpful chap."

Ken, who also volunteers with Brighton-based charity Time to Talk Befriending, said: "I love this place and I saw the ad and thought, 'well I could do that'.

"It does make me feel even more part of the club, going inside for our debrief and meeting people from the club as well and the other here to helpers.

"I like doing it, and I'm volunteering again for next season.

"I'm looking better and feeling better than I have done in ages. This illness only gets serious when I start missing matches."

The award honours soldier and Albion supporter James Brynin who died serving his country in Afghanistan.

Albion chief executive Paul Barber said people having passion for their job gets even more out of them, as in Ken's case.

He said: "I think in any job if someone's got a passion for it and a real love for it then their sense of responsibility in the way they discharge that role is even greater.

"The fact we've got massive Albion fans as Here To Help volunteers is a real bonus for the club and a real positive for the fans that need their help."

Brave Tate wins AITC Award

AN ADMIRABLE young girl scooped the Albion in the Community Award on Thursday night.

Tate Willis, 11, is a regular at the junior amputee sessions run by the club's charity.

She was born with no left hand, though doctors do not know the reason why.

Tate has been bullied by classmates, and has had to move schools because of the problem.

The youngster "always wanted to play" football, and AITC helped when Phil Broom, the club's disability development officer, phoned her mother to see if she wanted to begin taking part shortly before her 11th birthday.

Dad Alex said: "She's gone through having to develop and learn how to do things without her hand that we take for granted. It's the things you can't control that have affected her most.

"We now drive a 60 mile-round trip from school because of bullying problems.

"She's now on her third school. I think that's the hardest thing that's been for her.

"To be singled out for having a disability is horrible, and in all fairness to Tate, she stands up to it as much as she can and ignores things that go on around her, but eventually it takes its toll."

He added that Tate is "a different girl" since featuring with AITC.

Coach Phil said: "The progress she has made in a relatively short space of time has been amazing."