The young boy at the centre of an ongoing Helston fundraising campaign has said his first word in a groundbreaking moment for his family.

William Stuteley is the inspiration for Hear Will's Voice, an appeal set up to help raise £50,000 for intensive therapy.

Will is on the non-verbal end of the autism spectrum, something that affects only one in four children with autism, which means that he has been unable to communicate verbally and does not understand the world around him.

Last year, when Will was three, his parents Joe and Rebecca began fundraising for therapy that is not a available on the NHS, which helps parents and the children themselves manage and live functionally with the condition, even eventually helping them to speak, so that Will could hear his voice for the first time.

Now, after 18 months of treatment, Will has echoed his first word: "baby."

The four-year-old is now also able to complete tasks such as getting himself dressed, having his hair cut and even eating chicken and vegetables - all of which Rebecca said she "wouldn't have imagined" when they started.

Will started at Wendron Primary School last September on a part-time basis, with most of his therapy taking place at home.

Rebecca said: "The progress made over the last year since his programme started is amazing.

"The two main steps for us in terms of his progress are showing interest in others - especially the other children at school - and started his language development programme, having echoed his first word ‘ baby’."

To help keep the fundraising going the family has organised a night with popular Cornish comedian Johnny Cowling to take place on Friday, May 19 at 7.30pm in the Godolphin Club.

Tickets cost £12, available from Godolphin Club or by messaging the Hear Will's Voice Facebook page.