A NEW charity inspired by the bravery of a little girl who is learning to crawl with the use of only one side of her body could draw a host of celebrities to York.

First on the list to lend their support to the Georgina Grace Trust are self-confessed battleaxe Christine Hamilton, and her husband, the former MP Neil.

Ruth and Paul Thompson invited the Hamiltons to head up a celebrity lunch on March 2 at York's Hilton Hotel, after setting up the trust in their daughter's name to help charities which support disabled children and their families.

The Nether Poppleton couple hope to raise £30,000 through the lunch and a celebrity ball in April, for the Child Development Centre at York Hospital; Kids, Yorkshire and the Humber; and the National Children's Home in Scarborough.

Georgina was born in July, 2004, at York Hospital, with CMV, or cytomegalovirus.

She has partial vision and cannot use the left side of her body, although she has limited movement in her leg. She also has slight brain damage.

"We won't know the effect until she gets older and we can see how she develops," said Ruth, 40, adding Georgina was "one of the lucky ones", as some children with CMV cannot move, speak or see. But Georgina who has a brother, Adam, aged three, is not letting her disabilities stop her.

"You wouldn't believe how fast she is getting around considering she has only the use of one leg," said Ruth. "She has intensive physiotherapy at the hospital and does physio through play at home."

Paul, a safety manager for Northern Rail, and Ruth plan to stage money-spinning events each year for their chosen causes. "As an events manager I thought I could use my skills to raise as much as possible for charity. We want to make a big impact," said Ruth, who runs her own business, Horseshoe Weddings And Events.

York University graduate Mrs Hamilton, who appeared in I'm Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, said they were "delighted" to attend the lunch and promised "pure entertainment". She said: "People should come ready to laugh - whether it is rumbles in the jungle or frolics with Louis Theroux."

Proceeds from the sale of their books on the day will go to the trust. The couple are being paid for their appearance.

Sport, music and television stars are expected at the ball at York Racecourse on April 29, when tickets cost £55, or £1,500 for a table of ten, hosted by a celebrity.

Figures who could be making an appearance include Emmerdale and Coronation Street stars, plus Dennis Taylor, Tessa Sanderson, Suzanne Dando, Richard Dunwoody and Anthea Turner.

Cheques for tickets should be made to The Georgina Grace Trust, c/o Horseshoe Weddings and Events, PO Box 429, York, YO1 0AE or contact Ruth on 01904 780880.

What is CMV

CMV, or Cytomegalovirus, is a common virus which has infected about half of Britain's population at some point.

It can pass unnoticed or there may be mild flu-like symptoms, but babies who are infected may develop more serious problems. The virus belongs to the herpes family, which includes the chicken-pox, cold sore and glandular fever viruses. About 40 per cent of women in the UK are susceptible to CMV during pregnancy.

The main risk is when women catch it for the first time in pregnancy. The chance of the baby becoming infected is about 40 per cent.

More than 90 per cent of infected babies have no signs of anything wrong at birth, but some infants may develop hearing loss over the first five years of life.

Updated: 11:31 Tuesday, January 31, 2006