John Finnigan is urging Cheltenham Town fans to dig deep in support of little Lilac Jackson next month.

Lilac is the lovely, smiling three-year-old who has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy, a desperately tough condition which severely restricts her movement.

The League Two club are doing their bit to help raise funds so that she can have a life-changing operation, hopefully in April.

Lilac will be Cheltenham’s mascot for the home game against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday 17th February, and there will be bucket collections before the game and at half time.

“I hope everyone can support Lilac as much as they can,” said Finnigan, Cheltenham’s commercial manager. “She is a local girl and Lilac’s parents, Leila and Barry, are lovely people.

“Anything we can do to help we are happy to do so.”

Ex-Cleeve School pupil Leila and her husband Barry, who live in Bishop’s Cleeve, launched a crowdfunding campaign in October and they have already raised £28,500.

If the operation takes place in Bristol as the family hope, the cost, including the 18 months of rehab to follow, will be about £42,000 and it will be almost double that if they have to go to America.

In neither country is the operation or rehab state-funded and Leila told The Local Answer today: “There is some wear and tear on Lilac’s hip so time is of the essence. She needs to have the operation as soon as possible.”

Cheltenham’s fans will get the chance to ‘meet’ Lilac on match days over the next few weeks via the club’s big screen at the ground.

Lilac is also due to meet Cheltenham’s players at training in the week leading up to the Wycombe game.

Cheltenham host Barnet tomorrow and Port Vale on 10th February before the game against Wycombe.

Cheltenham Town Ladies are also doing their bit to support Lilac, and Leila will be at their game against Basingstoke Town Ladies at Petersfield Park, off Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, on Sunday (2pm). All proceeds from the game will be donated to the charity Lilac’s Little Legs.

Supporting Lilac is not the only very good cause that Cheltenham Town are getting behind, because they are hosting two charity football matches before the end of the season.

A celebrity match in aid of the Midlands Air Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation takes place on Sunday 25th March (3pm), and a floodlit football match between AP McCoy’s XI and a Cheltenham Town Legends XI, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, will be played on Wednesday 18th April (7.30pm). Tickets are on sale for both.