MOST recently my daughter Alisha Blake aged 15 was offered places on the three-year diploma course at four top London Performing Arts Colleges – Birds, Laines, Italia Conti and Urdang.

Whilst this is an incredible achievement at such a young age unfortunately, she has not been awarded funding and therefore is unable to attend.

Dancing, singing and acting from an early age, she has represented the south in national talent competitions both singing and dancing, was shortlisted for Born To Shine on ITV and has taken to the stage on many of the theatres in and around Bournemouth.

Alisha is one of seven people from Bournemouth over the last year that I know of who have been placed in this situation.

While many of us understand that government funding is minimal, my main concern is where do they go from here? Bournemouth provides excellent workshops by means of Pavilion Dance. However, having reached the highest grades in dancing, these people really need professional training. There is nothing available on the south coast and while talent competitions, which the south seems to be rife in, offer good exposure, these people who have trained from early ages are not necessarily looking for a quick fix of fame.

A career is what they are after, performing or teaching.

Government-funded projects such as Gifted and Talented through school years I fully support, however, it seems a bit pointless when funding does not provide a bridge from school to professional training for these highly-talented people. I know I speak on behalf of many and only hope that one day governments and councils will recognise talent and potential in the south and offer professional training in line with the training offered in places such as London, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.

REME BLAKE Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth