A football club’s charity is calling on people to give their support in the wake of council cutbacks.

The New Saints Foundation puts on a series of free activity sessions for children in Oswestry and surround villages during school holidays.

They are partly funded through the Local Joint Committees that are responsible for delivering youth budgets.

However, these are set to be slashed from 2018/19.

Stewart Bloor, media officer for the club, said: “We have received fantastic feedback for our provision this year, which was attended by almost 400 children and young people.”

He continue: “Unfortunately, Shropshire Council is now proposing to remove this funding to rural areas, and only provide a small amount of funds for youth provision in the five largest market towns in the county.

“The council is currently running an online public consultation on this proposal.

“We are therefore hoping that you would be willing to respond to the consultation – and hopefully convince the council of the importance of a relatively small amount of funding in providing much-needed activities for children and young people growing up in rural areas who aren’t necessarily able to get in to the market towns to access what they have to offer.”

In Oswestry, the proposed funding would be £18,000.

However, the TNS Foundation also delivers sessions in Gobowen, St Martins and Weston Rhyn where there are no plans to continue youth funding.

The consultation which ends today is available via https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/changes-to-provision-of-youth-activities/