Just one year on from when Maidstone Borough Council launched an Olympic sponsorship project, all of its athletes have been given a hop, skip, jump in the right direction.

The Maidstone’s Dream project, which aims to gain sponsorship from businesses to help the borough’s athletes tipped for 2012 success, launched last May, with the first sponsorship deal being sealed in August 2009.

Since then the project has gone from strength to strength, with the latest sponsorship deals coming the way of decathlete Martin Brockman, with a £2,500 cash boost from ASB Law, Emily Cousins, with a £500 cheque from Cliffe Enterprise and James Hall who has been given a hefty sum from Clive Emson Auctioneers.

Altogether just under a whopping £20,000 has been accumulated from businesses around the county and nearby counties.

Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Richard Ash, said: “This is phenomenal amount of money that has been raised in just a year for these promising young athletes. They are Maidstone’s future in sporting terms and all have the ability to go onto the Olympics in 2012 and beyond.

“I’d like to personally thank all those businesses who have helped with funding and encourage others to follow in their footsteps in backing an athlete who has the potential to go for gold.”