Hollywood actor urges people to vote for Hartlepool Hawks in National Lottery Awards

Hartlepool Hawks Cheerleading Academy, which recently won three gold medals at a European Championships in Holland, has been named as a finalist in The National Lottery Awards 2018.

Actor Michael Sheen is urging people to vote for them in the annual search for the public’s favourite National Lottery-funded projects.

The awards celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding.

The Hawks are up against six other projects from around the UK for the title of the National Lottery’s Best Sport Project.

They previously received £9,000 from the National Lottery to help them set up in their current premises in Moreland Street.

Michael Sheen, an ambassador for the National Lottery Awards, said: “I am immensely proud of the incredible work these National Lottery funded projects deliver day in and day out in our communities throughout the UK.

“My message is simple - these extraordinary finalists need your support, so please get voting!”

The project with the most votes will win £5,000, a trophy and attend a star-studded glittering awards ceremony to be broadcast on BBC One on September 26.

Hawks head coach and academy founder Beccii Taylor said: “We hope Hartlepool supports us. It would be good to show on a national scale the good things going on in the town and how we are doing something to change the lives of young children.”

Beccii added the award also helps to highlight cheerleading as a sport with a range of dance, gymnastic and fitness opportunities.

To vote go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or tweet using the hashtag #NLAHartlepoolHawks.

Voting closes at midnight on Friday, July 27.