SPONSOR a Sibling supporters were given a tour around the charity’s first caravan this weekend.

The unique charity supports the siblings of severely sick or disabled children, and the holiday retreat is aimed at giving them a fun family getaway..

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

Laura Rolph-Wills, of Grafton Road, Dovercourt, launched the charity in 2016.

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, 12, was indirectly affected and she wanted to help children like him.

The charity’s wheelchair-friendly caravan at Highfield Grange Caravan Park in Clacton was open to the public for the first time on Saturday. Laura said: “It was lovely and we had a lot of people come.

“We had a lot of people who took on the firewalk fundraiser for us come.

“Josh was being the tour guide – he’s always helping and coming up with ideas.”

The caravan is expected to cost £10,000 a year to run and families not meeting the criteria may be able to pay to rent it with all funds going towards maintenance and upkeep.

Laura has also launched a buy a plaque scheme – a proudly sponsored by or in loving memory of plaque – for £30 a year to help raise funds.

Booking is now open for April holidays.

For more information about the charity, visit www.sponsorasibling.co.uk, and for details about the plaque, email laura@sponsora sibling.org.