Sidmouth sponsors are urgently being sought to help children with special needs visit Lourdes this Easter in special orange outfits.

SSPONSORS are urgently being sought to help young people with special needs visit Lourdes this Easter.

The HCPT Westcountry Youth Group, which organises trips to the pilgrimage site each year, desperately needs sponsorship to pay for its young helpers outfits.

Some 13 15-18 year-olds are going, seven from Sidmouth and their clothing will cost around �600.

More than 200 HCPT groups travel to Lourdes each year and each group has a unique number and clothing design.

For the past two years, Youth Group (706) in Sidmouth has been sponsored by Sidmouth Town Council, Jameson Homes and Estuary Property Maintenance, but so far has no sponsors for this year.

Group leaders Brigid and Steve McEleney-Smith said: “We never ask the same business to sponsor us more than once and the town council has been more than generous in giving our Sidmouth Youth �50 towards their fares each year.

“We fundraise through out the year for the rest of their fares, which are �681 each, and we don’t have any spare money for group clothing.

“Despite appealing to many local and national businesses this year, we have not secured a sponsor.

“Our clothing is bright orange (as worn by Kesiah and Damaris in our photo) so you can’t miss us and we do of course print the name of our sponsors on the clothing.”

Anyone who can offer help should contact Brigid on (01395) 512520.