A BALL at the Kidderminster Harriers Social Club hopes to raise thousands of pounds towards a second round of stem cell treatment for severely autistic twins.

Five-year-old sisters Summer and Meadow Lockey have already made significant progress since undergoing the pioneering treatment in Panama last October.

Meadow, who is non-verbal, is now mastering sign language and earned the title of most improved student, whilst Summer, who can now speak in sentences, received the most advanced student award at their special needs school.

A massive £20,000 has been raised since the appeal started a year ago, but with each treatment costing around £18,000 for each sister plus travel and accommodation, the total cost of their second visit planned for December will be in the region of £48,000.

Aunties Jane and Sinead Maffei, from Kidderminster, and the rest of the family are rallying round to organise fundraisers to boost the appeal for the twins, who live in Grays, Essex, with mum Jade (nee Pina Maffei), originally from Kidderminster, and dad John.

The charity ball on Saturday, September 14 will include entertainment from a variety of local singers and dancers from the town’s Splinters Studio. There will also be disco and DJ.

Tickets, priced £25, and £10 for children under 12, include a raffle ticket with top prizes of a two-night stay in a cottage in Broadway, a 32-inch Sharp Smart TV, a £100 alcohol hamper, a Vax carpet cleaner and a sweets hamper.

Sinead Maffei, of Yew Tree Road, said: “We have a great line up of entertainment and I can promise it will be a really good night, which a lot of people are already supporting.

“It means so much to our family to help Summer and Meadow and having seen such rapid progress in their development we know how valuable this treatment is to them.”

The charity ball – dress code casual – starts at 7pm and tickets are available from Jane Maffei on 07968 398313, Sinead Maffei on 07980 846301 or Charlie Villa on 07759 629938.