DESPITE being in a crowd full of celebrities and dignitaries at Number 10, it was Ben Morris who was the centre of attention.

Eleven-year-old Ben, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is already a familiar face around Swindon, but his charisma shone brighter than ever at a special reception held at Downing Street earlier this week.

Ben and his sister Emily were guests of honour at the bash, which marked the 25th anniversary of the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity – something close to the Morris’ hearts.

The reception was hosted by the Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron and was attended by several famous supporters of the charity including Eddie Redmayne, Steve Coogan, Austin Healey, Al Murray, Annabel Croft and Sue Cook.

Ben’s condition means his muscles do not receive signals from his brain, so the only part of his body he can move from his neck down is his left thumb.

His dad Doug, said: “The Rainbow Trust have been brilliant and one of the things that makes them stand out is they do look after the family, they are as important as the child.

“It is practical support, we are fully aware there are many other children in need of help but when they are here it is all about us – and they provide non-judgmental support.

“They asked us last year what they could do better and we said don’t change a thing, just do more of it.”

Ben is one of 1,200 currently being supported by the trust.

During the reception Mrs Cameron spoke movingly about the work of the trust and how they make so much difference to the lives of families with a sick child.

Trust chief executive Heather Wood said: “We are grateful to Samantha Cameron for hosting this reception at Downing Street, which was a wonderful end to our 25th celebrations.

“It provided us with the opportunity to celebrate all that Rainbow Trust has achieved over the last 25 years.

“We are uniquely placed to set the standard and agenda for children’s social palliative care because we work with families in desperate need and we are committed to make sure they receive the essential support vital to them.

“Everyone had a fantastic evening and was touched by the way Ben and Emily Morris spoke about the support their family have received.”

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity provides tailor made emotional and practical support to the entire family of a child who has a life threatening or terminal illness.

The charity’s vision is that one day every family in this situation will have access to a Rainbow Trust Family Support Worker.

They currently support 10 per cent of those families and it is only a lack of funding that prevents them from supporting more.

For more information about the trust, see wwww.rainbowtrust.org.uk