DICKY Evans is calling on supporters of both the Cornish Pirates and Truro City to help financially so the clubs can continue over the next two years.

Evans, who owns the Pirates and the White Tigers, hopes to raise £2.5m from crowdfunding – but emphasised that this would not be an investment for those prepared to help.

The fund people are being asked to invest in, Kernow Sports Limited, is debt free, but Evans says it is only a philanthropic vehicle.

He told BBC Sport: “The crowdfund will finish at the end of June and I think we’ll raise the money ok by the looks of it.

“We’ve got people investing from Australia, New Zealand already, it’s good news.

“But they know they won’t make any money out of it, it’s not an investment.”

He added: “Coming into the main Kernow Sports Limited is big money, decent money. We’ve got a couple of people interested at the moment and we’re talking to them.”

Evans, who lives in Kenya, has been associated with the Pirates for 28 years, and last year pledged a final donation of £2.5m to keep the clubs going, bringing his total spend to £25m.

He said the budget from crowdfunding would provide £2m for the Pirates and £500,000 for Truro.

There is £1.3m left in his ‘sunset fund’ for the coming season, with the aim of topping it up before new investors come in.

And plans for a stadium to house both clubs are still alive, with Evans saying: “If we get a stadium built, eventually it will cover the costs of Pirates and Truro.”