SEVEN boys who play for Melksham Town Hurricanes U8s are still seeking sponsorship from local residents to enable them to take part in the Isle of Wight junior football tournament at Easter.

The boys – who are part of the Melksham Town FC youth section at the Oakfield Stadium – have already successfully raised £1,100 by completing the Southwick 5km Park Run back in November and holding a cake sale at North Bradley Toddler Group.

In addition to the money raised, the team has received two generous sponsorship donations - £500 from Blenheim House care home and £250 from Mark Luxford Plumbing & Heating of North Bradley.

On Saturday, the boys will be aiming to raise even more money by taking part in a bag packing event at the Asda supermarket in Melksham between 10am and 4pm.

Manager Tom Crawford said: “These boys have been together as a team now for almost two years and continue to work hard week in week out both at training and during matches against other local teams.

“They are very excited about the prospect of the tour pitting their newly-found football skills against other teams across the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to further bond as a group, playing the game they are mad about.

“We have received two very generous sponsors which has helped us enormously, however we are only halfway there.

“This Saturday is going to be great, not only will the boys be raising additional funds but they will also interact with the local community, which is really important as we aim to continue raising the profile of Melksham Town Football Club and in particular its youth section.”

The Isle of Wight Junior Football tournament has been organised by Sports Tours and takes place at the Seaclose Park in Newport. Now in its 37th year, it is officially the UK's longest-running soccer festival.

The tournament attracts football teams from all over the UK and takes place over the Easter weekend from Friday, March 30 to Monday, April. Last year, 97 teams took part.

If you think you could become a sponsor for the Hurricanes U8s Isle of Wight tour please contact Sophie Bush via Facebook or email sophiebushmtfchurricanes@hotmail.com