2:41pm Saturday 2nd August 2008
By Scott Mullins
A DIVING club has launched a fundraising website in an attempt to cover its spiralling costs.
Crystal Palace Diving Institute was forced to move its training facilities when the pool hall at Crystal Palace Sports Centre closed following an asbestos scare last September.
The rent at its temporary facilities is double that of the previous bill and coaches at the club have been forced to launch helplondondivers.com to help raise money ahead of London 2012.
Chris Snode, 47, runs the professional training programme at the institute.
He said: "This website is an appeal to help London's Olympic hopefuls. We desperately need the money.
"We could end up being locked out of our temporary training facilities by the end of next week. We just can't afford to pay the rent anymore.
"All the money is going on the Olympic build and we haven't got a penny towards helping our Olympic hopefuls."
He added: "This website should be a great way to help us keep our coaches and help the parents pay for their children's training."
Mr Snode hopes the website will bring in around £500 per month for each of the 40 Olympic hopefuls at the institute.
Nine-year-old Rebecca Torrance was talent scouted by Crystal Palace Diving Institute 18-months ago and is on a special programme to help her qualify for the Olympics in 2016.
Her mum admits that the financial strain of funding Rebecca's training is beginning to tell.
Sara Torrance, of Lusted Hall Lane, Biggin Hill, said: "The holidays are particularly difficult and I would estimate we will spend an extra £400 this summer paying for her to train in Tunbridge Wells.
"The Olympics in 2016 is a long way off and the financial pressure is really beginning to grow.
"It is a real struggle for us and other children are dropping out of the club because they can't afford it. The costs are just spiralling."
The 37-year-old added: "The ideal outcome is to get someone sponsoring Rebecca. The average cost of training is £6,000 a year so it's very important to get this money together."
The website is set to launch on Monday and will offer individuals and businesses ways to donate to the club or individual athletes.
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