GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S Olympic past, present and future will be celebrated at a prestigious gala dinner in aid of a local charity with serious sporting aspirations.

The glittering event at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse tonight (Friday) will welcome guest of honour HRH Princess Anne, HM Lord-Lieutenant for Gloucestershire Dame Janet Trotter and 26 Olympians and Paralympians with county connections.

Guests will include Olympic gold medallists such as Pete Reed, Alex Gregory, Zac Purchase, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, alongside stars of the county’s sporting past, and celebrity athletes Kriss Akabusi MBE and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards.

The evening is in support of Gloucester Rowing Club’s Boathouse Appeal - a project to build a £1.5 million state-of-the-art rowing and canoeing facility open to schools, colleges and universities, with an eye on developing our Olympians and Paralympians of the future.

Stephen Rose, chairman of The Gloucester Boathouse Appeal, said: “We are incredibly proud of the county’s Olympic and Paralympic achievements and delighted that the Princess Royal can join us in honouring some of Gloucestershire’s finest athletes.

“We were all inspired by the London Games this summer and the dedication and commitment our athletes showed in representing their communities and their country.

“This appeal is about giving each and every youngster in Gloucestershire the chance to emulate our sporting heroes and to become medal winners of the future.”

The appeal’s aims include forging links with Hartpury Rowing Academy, supporting public rowing initiatives such as Learn2Row and creating a regional centre for adaptive rowing for the disabled.

Gold and silver medallist rower Zac Purchase said: “To represent yourself and your country at the highest sporting level is one of the greatest honours you can ever have as an athlete.

“We now have the opportunity to inspire future generations to realise their dreams and, through projects like this, the county can continue to deliver sporting success for years to come.”