A PAIR of public fun days to help raise the cash an Eastburn boy badly needs to enable him to walk will be held in May and June.

The events at Keighley's New Variety Club on May 12 and Steeton Hall on June 24 are part of the campaign to help four-year-old Ajay Ramos, whose family needs at least £40,000 to pay for specialist surgery.

Ajay was born nine weeks premature, weighing just three pounds. He cannot stand or walk independently so has to move around by crawling, using a walking frame or in a pushchair. He has spastic diplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy.

The operation he needs is called selective dorsal rhizotomy, but this procedure is not available on the NHS.

The fun day at the New Variety Club, in Russell Street, on Saturday May 12 starts at 2pm.

It will feature a dunking stool, a bouncy castle, a raffle, an auction, food and an ice cream van. There will also be face painting and hook-a-duck.

A spokesman for the organisers said: "The fabulous John Driver will be singing, and there will be a karaoke.

"We are asking for donations of any kind for the raffle and auction. Any help would be appreciated and let's help make this little boy's dream a reality."

The June 24 fun day at Steeton Hall will run from noon to 6pm.

Organisers are putting on face painting, raffles, food, a kids' tombola, a name the monkey contest, live music and much more. All are welcome to attend.

Ajay's mother, Tania Ramos, said she wanted as many people as possible to come along to one or both of the events.

"I want to thank everybody who has been donating money and also providing raffle prizes," she added. "I'm so grateful to them.

"Thanks to Steeton Hall for letting us have their venue for free and for providing bouncy castles.

"Sam King has arranged the music for the Steeton Hall fun day and we've had so much support from Dean Majors at Tesco, in Skipton, and from Wingate Nursery, off Fell Lane, which Ajay attends.

"Wingate have always been brilliant with Ajay, and now they're really working hard to help us get this money.

"We are raffling off a prize holiday as well."

Mr Majors, community champion at Skipton's Tesco branch, said this store would host a fundraising event in its entrance from 10am to 4pm on Saturday May 5, featuring music and a raffle.

He said he had also secured a stand for Ajay at this year's Skipton Waterways Festival. The stand will be at the Canal Basin from 10am to 4pm on Monday May 7.

Miss Ramos said even though the fundraising drive, dubbed Ajay's Wish To Walk, had started slowly, it was gathering momentum and has passed the £1,000 mark online.

People wishing to support the appeal for Ajay can visit just4children.org/children-helped2017/ajays-wish-to-walk/ to make a donation.

They can also visit the Ajay's Wish to Walk Facebook page for full details on fundraising events, raffles and other planned activities.