A single mum struggling to juggle the rising costs of bills with her daughter's gymnastics dreams has been overwhelmed by the support from other parents after bravely asking for help.
Mum-of-four Nikki Smith was left facing the agonising decision of whether she could afford to send her daughter to the TeamGym British Championships and other gymnastics competitions this year as the cost of living crisis bites. Nikki from Fenham said her daughter Nerrisah, 11, has been training at The City of Newcastle Gymnastics Academy for the last six years, but increasing utility bills meant that she was struggling to cover the annual competition and training costs which amount to more than £2,000 each year.
With her other children also taking part in sports including dancing and basketball, Nikki feared these activities would have to be cut so they could cover living costs.
