STAFF at an engineering firm in Filton have pledged their support to the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

Airbus has announced that staff had voted in favour of the good cause becoming the company’s chosen charity.

This will mean the firm holding a programme of employee fundraising and volunteering activities for the charity over the next 18 months.

Airbus hopes to raise £200,000 for CLIC Sargent, across all of its UK sites in Filton, Bristol and Broughton, North Wales.

Helen Turton, corporate account manager for CLIC Sargent, said: "We are delighted to be chosen by Airbus employees as their next charity partner and it is great to hear that there are already a host of exciting fundraising activities planned.

"It costs CLIC Sargent around £3,750 to support each child or young person through cancer treatment, so the money Airbus raise will make a real difference to the lives of the thousands of children and young people we support."

At Airbus all staff on the graduate scheme and apprentices have pledged to raise £350 each for the charity. To do this they are aiming to do the Three Peaks Challenge in August.

Later this month another group of staff are cycling from Bristol to Paris for CLIC Sargent. When the team arrive in Paris they are going to be met by Louis Gallois, the chief executive of EADS, Airbus’ parent company.