Businessman Mike Davies used his 60th birthday celebrations to launch a new charity to help disadvantaged children.

Mr Davies, group managing director of Skipton-based vitamins producer Principle Healthcare Group, has set up The Principle Trust.

Principle Healthcare’s employees, suppliers and customers have responded positively to Mike’s idea, providing services free of charge and pledging donations.

The new charitable trust has already raised enough money to buy two new three-bedroom holiday homes in the Haven Holiday Park at Marton Mere, near Blackpool, which will provide free holidays for nominated children and their families throughout the year.

The Principle Trust, which was officially launched at a dinner at the Coniston Hotel this month, will initially work with social services to help local children but aims to operate nationally. Mr Davies hopes the new trust will become the nominated charity of businesses in the area that will help raise funds.

He said: “We know people have a lot of competing pressures on their purses, wallets and bank accounts, but I can promise this is an extremely worthwhile cause with very practical objectives and that every penny raised or donated will go towards new holiday provisions.

“We have all the internal resources to make this work and plenty of enthusiastic staff and supporters willing it to succeed.”

The Principle Trust is at Airedale Business Centre, Skipton and is on (01756) 792600 or at theprincipletrust.org.