A CHARITY is calling for sponsorship support for local athletes.

Cotswold Athletes Support Scheme and Friends (CASS and Friends) provide financial help for aspiring sports stars aged between 12 and 18.

Grants are awarded for equipment, coaching, sports camps, competition fees, travel and accommodation costs with over £16,000 raised in three years with charity status officially recognised last year.

Athletes the charity are supporting include Casarena Ferreira, 17, a member of the West Midlands Regional Triathlon, cyclist Tom Barlow 17 who scooped second place at the Minehead Festival of Wheels 2017.

Other sports stars funded are Rob Worman 16, a decathlete, ranked 3rd in the UK in 2017 and selected to participate in the Athletics Academy of Sporting Excellence, Aimee Lane, 14, cyclist, and member of the British Cycling national school of cycling and U14 Regional Champion for the West Midlands.

Trampolinist Billy Keenan, 12, is also being supported, Billy was a 2017 gold medalist in Holland competing for the England team.

The charity was set up in 2015 by a group of friends passionate about supporting youth sport with Michael Edwards, known as Eddie the Eagle, their patron.

The trustees for the charity include retired university lecturer Mike Deakin, age group Great Britain duathlete Fiona Carter and Jonathan Eaton, employed in the motor industry.

Sponsors can help by providing a one off donation or monthly donation, sponsor an athlete or a specific sport, sponsor an event and help promote it and run a sponsored event for the charity.

For more information, or to sponsor an athlete, visit www.cassandfriends.org