Jarrow's Tyneside Ignite cheerleading squad raises over £600 at supermarket bag pack to fund trip to international competition in Barcelona

Tyneside Ignite Cheerleading, based at Perth Green Community Association, in Inverness Road, Jarrow, helped shoppers at Tesco, in Towers Place, Simonside, pack their bags in a bid to raise funds to send the squad to an international competition next year.

The cheerleading team managed to raise £641.44 across two days at the supermarket.

The under 17’s team, made up of 11-16 year-olds, hope to head to Future Cheer International competition, in Barcelona, in June 2023, where they will compete in the U17 level one division against other teams across Europe.

The club, which was formed in 2017, hopes to one day reach the cheerleading Summit Championships, which takes place in Florida every year, where some of the best teams in the world compete against each other.

But, before they get a chance to head stateside, the squad must first show it can compete with the best in Europe.

Tyneside Ignite Cheerleading need to raise around £5,000 to help the 15 athletes and their families pay for flights, merchandise and competition entry for the event. So far the club has raised £641.44.

The club’s director and head coach, Jo Burrows, said: “The athletes on this team train a minimum of four times a week, most of them do five or six, some of them also do some junior coaching at the club, so cheerleading is a huge part of theirs and their families lives.

"Just being a part of this journey is something we are all so proud of, but the idea that getting a Summit Championships bid is now a realistic goal of ours is something so exciting for these athletes and our whole club.”

The club has 140 athletes, with five competitive teams and recreation classes.

Run on a not-for-profit basis, the club is always seeking new ways to raise funds for the club to continue to grow and improve facilities for its athletes.

Any individuals or businesses who wish to donate or sponsor the squad can do so by emailing Jo at [email protected]