Freya Speirs, Mollie Manton, Jessica McAra, Amelia Aitken, Heather shore and Hayley Stewart - athletes from the Stirling area, have been selected to represent Scotland as part of National Cheer and Performance Cheer Team. They will be travelling to Orlando, Florida, in April to compete internationally. Between them, the girls represent two local clubs: Kay Klass Dance, based in Raploch, and DMC Allstars. based in Springkerse.

As is often the case with minority and female sports, there is very little funding or subsidy available for athletes at this level. We are raising funds to help these local, Stirling girls realise their dreams and join the national team on their quest to be world champions.

The National Team consists of 72 elite athletes selected from clubs across Scotland due to their exceptional skill level. They will compete as a unified Team Scotland, representing their country at the highest level currently available within the sport of cheer and performance cheer.

The trip to Orlando will include competing at the World Cheerleading Championships, as well as training in state-of-the-art facilities with world-class instructors. The event will see over 10,000 athletes from more than 140 member countries taking part.

This is an incredible opportunity for these young athletes, and any local support would make a significant difference in helping them represent both Scotland and the Stirling area on the world stage.