TWELVE young talented Herefordshire sportspeople have recently received financial support from the Ready Steady Win charity, which is dedicated to support of promising athletes in the area.

The youngsters received their awards at the Leadership Trust at Ross on Wye, sponsored by PGL Action and Adventure, as well as the Leadership Trust.

They include three swimmers from Hereford Swimming Club.

Crystal Cope, 13, has won gold in the 200m fly in the County Championships for the past two years, and reached the final at regional level.

There are also awards for Lucia Hinksman, 14, who won the clean sweep at the level 2 open meet at Millfield School for backstroke, and Thomas Harris, 12, who has qualified for the Midland Districts and came second in the county championships.

Two footballers also won awards. Georgina Evans, 13, has been selected to play for West Bromwich Albion Girls U14s and South Wales, and Ashley Lear 12, is currently contracted to Cardiff City FC and has also attended trials for the Welsh schoolboys side.

Three track athletes have also been acknowledged. They are Sarah Weaver, 18, who is a member of the West Midlands sprint squad and is ranked 17th in the UK for the 100 metres, Olivia Wilding 15, is a talented sprint hurdler who has competed at county and national level, and Peregrine Fry, 14, who specialises in sprinting and sprint hurdles, and competes for the Deaf UK athletics squad.

Two young prospects on the water also benefit.

Kelly Morris, 14, has represented the West Midlands twice at the Inter Regional championships for rowing and won a bronze at the National Schools Rowing Championship, and Martin Wrigley, 12, who has won numerous sailing events over the past two years including the Silver Fleet Hollowell Open and Gold Fleet Cardiff Bay Winter Open.

There are also awards for Joseph Crichard, 13, who has represented Herefordshire in cricket since he was nine years old, captained the side for three years and has been selected for the Midlands regional side, and Victoria Metcalfe, 20, is a talented polocrosse player, and is a member of the UK U21 polocrosse squad and captains the ladies side.