AN 'A-TEAM' of fundraisers are helping youngsters from East Dorset achieve their dreams.

The Ferndown-based John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF) has been backed by the 'Barclays volunteers' scheme since 2009. During that time, matched funding donated to the charity has reached £40,000.

The foundation was established in 2008 following the death of Royal Marine John Thornton. John was just 22 when he died in Afghanistan.

Charity founders - and John's parents - Linda and Pete Thornton have since give away more than £500,000 to support young people living in Dorset.

Currently, the charity supports 19 groups, including schools, Girl Guide and Scout organisations, and the Dorset and Wiltshire wing of the Air Cadets. Awards have been given to more than 1,300 individuals, who have used the money to fund everything from expeditions to musical instruments and sea voyages.

Thanking staff at Barclays for their support, Pete said the bank's funding has made a "huge different to the opportunities the charity has been able to provide".

"Everyone at JTYAF is truly grateful to Barclays for their volunteer help and fund matching," he said.

"We have a lot of fun together too. We don’t call them the A-Team for nothing."

To celebrate, students from Ferndown Upper School visited Barclays Eagle Lab in Bournemouth with representatives from JTYAF.

Pupils took part in a problem-solving challenge before testing out cutting-edge technology including a 3D printer and a laser cutter.

Di Trott, corporate banking manager at Barclays, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure working together with Pete and Linda as they help local young people reach for their goals and achieve their dreams.

"We're very proud to have been able to contribute over £40,000 towards that valuable work over the years and look forward to supporting them into the future.”