A director of a Gloucestershire based building company has galvanised local businesses to form a 'magical' new partnership to help children with cerebral palsy.

Trevor Thorn's nine-year-old son Ashton, who suffers from hemiplegia, a type of cerebral palsy where injury to the brain causes weakness or paralysis to one side of the body, saw his life transformed when he took part in The Breathe Magic Intensive Therapy Programme.

Now Trevor and his wife Zoe, who run Staverton-based Thorn Homes Ltd, have lobbied county businesses to help establish a fund so other children from the region to benefit from the treatment.

Mr Thorn said: "I'm really touched by the number of businesses that have come forward and offered to donate £2,550, which will fund a child's future place at the magic camp.

"I'm so pleased that other young people will be able to benefit from the ground-breaking therapy treatment that Breathe's Magic Programme offers, just as my son did."

Occupational therapists work alongside magicians from The Magic Circle as part of the programme to deliver a total of 78 hours of intensive co-ordination and motor skills training during a 10-day camp and three bi-monthly follow-up sessions.

The camp uses carefully designed magic tricks and everyday activities to help young people improve their co-ordination skills, allowing them to complete tasks that they couldn't do previously - improving their confidence, emotional well-being and overall quality of life.

Businesses who have supported the programme so far include A Property Sales, Bennetts Coaches, Clarkson Evans, Federation of Master Builders, Genesis Timber Engineering, John Ruck Construction, My Choice Homes, Officenet, The Flying Shack, Thorn Homes.

A thank you drinks reception and information evening is being held on Tuesday, October 16 so that businesses already supporting the programme and others interested in getting involved can discover more about how the Breathe Magic Programme is improving the skills, mobility and confidence of young people in Gloucestershire.

There will also be an opportunity to meet and be entertained by Ashton Thorn who will work alongside a Magic Circle magician to show off his new-found skills.

The event will be held from 4 - 5pm at Clarkson Evans, Meteor Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, GL2 9QL.

Anyone interested in attending the event is asked to contact Holly Clack on 01452 715544. Parents of young people, aged 7 - 19 years old, affected by hemiplegia, are also urged to get in touch if they would like their son or daughter to get involved in the programme by emailing magic@breatheahr.org or by registering their interest at www.breatheahr.org.