A DETERMINED mum’s charity for siblings of ill children is in line for a huge boost thanks to a bank entrepreneur scheme.

Laura Rolph-Wills, of Grafton Road, Dovercourt, launched Sponsor a Sibling last year.

Her youngest son Harry, aged eight, suffers from a rare form of Batten disease, which is found in just one or two children in the UK each year.

His illness has resulted in a gradual loss of sight, mobility and speech - he now has to be fed through a tube.

But while there has been a lot of help for Harry, Laura realised her eldest son Joshua, 11, was indirectly affected and wanted to help children like him.

Sponsor a Sibling treats children to gift packs, bereavement packs and has also started to do hospital entertainment packs when a sibling is admitted.

It is raising funds for a specially adapted caravan to allow families with ill children to enjoy a holiday together.

The aim is to support siblings, who might take on extra responsibilities and miss out on trips and treats due to the health of their brother or sister.

In a bid to push her cause further, Laura applied to the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme and was accepted.

Laura said: “This is an amazing opportunity to progress Sponsor a Sibling over the next year .

“When we began we never imagined there would be such a need for support for the sibling.

“With the £3,000 funding we receive from the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, in partnership with the School for Social Entrepreneurs, we are going to set up much needed support groups. “Not only has the programme given us the wonderful opportunity to provide this service, the knowledge that will be gained from participating is priceless, both from fellow entrepreneurs on the SSE learning programme and from the Lloyds Banking Group mentor, whose help has been invaluable.”

The year-long programme, partly funded by Big Lottery Fund, equips entrepreneurs with the skills to grow a social business and to help solve some of the most pressing social issues within their communities. Entrepreneurs also receive financial support in the form of grants of up to £10,000, a comprehensive learning programme with School for Social Entrepreneurs and a Lloyds Banking Group business mentor.

Paula Rogers, head of social enterprise at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome a new cohort of social entrepreneurs to the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs and jointly funded by Big Lottery Fund. “I look forward to seeing their ideas grow over the next year to create positive social change, as part of our commitment to help Britain prosper.”