TV celebrity Katie Price is supporting a campaign by her former school to raise £4 million for new sports facilities.

The former Patcham High School pupil is backing its plan for a sports hall, 4G pitches and netball courts.

Ms Price – best known as a model and TV personality – said: “I loved my sport when I was at Patcham,

“Running was my big thing and I was really proud to represent the school.

“As a mum I know how important physical exercise is for kids and I reckon the kids at Patcham High deserve the best facilities they can get.

“I still have friends who live in and around Patcham and I think the new sports hall and the all-weather pitches will be brilliant for them and their families and anyone else in the area who’s into sport.”

The secondary school in Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, is setting up a Just Giving page to help fund a state-of-the-art sports centre.

The new facilities would benefit the local community as well as pupils.

Headteacher John McKee believes sport plays a vital role in a child’s education and says the current facilities at the school, which are now more than 50 years old, are no longer fit for purpose.

He said research shows that sport motivates children and helps build their self-confidence.

He said: “I really do believe that sport keeps pupils healthy, develops their social skills and shows them the value of team work.

“Unfortunately the facilities we currently have at the school are woefully inadequate.

“I am a man with a mission – a mission to give the children and the wider community a sports centre they can be proud of, not just for now but for years to come.”

The school has already raised £5,000 through a variety of fundraising activities and a full feasibility study was carried out at the end of last year.

Now it needs to draw up detailed plans to submit to Brighton and Hove City Council.

The whole planning process is likely to cost somewhere in the region of £15,000.

As has been widely reported in The Argus, school budgets across Brighton and Hove are under severe pressure.

Many have had their funding cut over the past few years, leaving little money for projects outside the academic curriculum.

To support Patcham High School go to: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/patcham-high-school-sports-development