Everybody at Chelsea Football Club has been shocked and saddened by the consequences of the earthquake in China.

Our deepest and sincerest condolences go out to all the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and we wish those who are injured a very speedy recovery. Even from the pictures we see in England we can also appreciate the bravery of the emergency services who are doing a fantastic job in the most difficult and harrowing circumstances.

Chelsea FC has a particularly close connection to the city of Chengdu and the province of Sichuan. The city is one of the first in the Vision China grass roots football project of the Asian Football Confederation in which Chelsea is the exclusive football development partner.

We will be doing what we can to make sure this continues and help in our small way to bring the city and region back to normality.