Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards is planning to take part in the Worthing Birdman competition this month.

Tony Hedger from A&T Business Associates and founder of the First Friday Worthing Network, is supporting this event for the second year running and is proud to sponsor the entry on behalf of Sparks.

The skier, who shot to fame after coming last in the 1988 Winter Olympic ski jump, will jump one more time off Worthing Pier.

He is hoping to reach the coveted 100m distance to collect the £30,000 prize for children’s medical research charity Sparks charity.

The event takes place over the weekend of the 14th and 15th August.

All money raised will go to the genetic eczema and asthma research being done at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Sparks president and England World Cup football legend Sir Geoff Hurst praised Eddie for taking on the challenge.

He said: “I hope he outsoars everyone else competing and lands that £30,000 for Sparks.”

The charity are funding local research and £10 will pay for testing equipment to investigate whether some newborn babies have a gene defect which may cause allergies such as eczema in later life. They are making amazing progress; Sparks have committed to support the research for 3 years.

Donations can be made by completing the sponsor form on the Justgiving site http://www.justgiving.com/Ann-Marie-Blackman