Merrien the mentor

Friday 12th November 2010, 2:30PM GMT.

LEE MERRIEN will mentor the first group of island ‘Rising Stars’ to be helped financially towards achieving their sporting dreams and true international status.

Rising Stars, which is coordinated by the Guernsey Sports Commission with support from four local businesses, aims to give Guernsey’s best young sportsmen and women funding at a time when they need it most.

The first four recipients are rower Erica Bodman, swimmer Kristina Neves, tennis player Jack Oldfield and table tennis starlet Alice Loveridge.

Merrien (pictured) said he was pleased to be asked to take the job on and ‘it is a way of putting something back’.