A MAN who lost his mum to a rare condition will be joining the fight against heart disease by holding a fundraising ball to help pay for research.

Benjamin Shinn, of Broadoak Way in Rayleigh, decided to support the British Heart Foundation (BHF) after his mum died three years ago.

The 37-year-old said: “Sadly we lost our mum Sue Bartley, also known as Sue Shinn, in 2014 from a rare heart condition.

“She was 59-years-old and lived in Daws Heath all of her adult life.

“Dad used to own Shinns Butchers, in Rectory Grove, Leigh, and our family was well known in the area so there was a lot of support from the local community at the funeral.

“We want to bring everyone who knew her together in a positive way, to celebrate her life and raise money for these rare heart conditions so that other people don’t have to go through what we have.

“We are hoping to raise £10,000 for the BHF helping them to fund the research that is so urgently needed to fight heart disease.

“Thanks to winning a place in The Roslin Hotel’s Charity Outreach scheme we’ve been given the chance to host a great evening at a gorgeous venue with stunning views.

“It’s been great fun to organise but we need more tickets sold. We’ve got some fantastic auction prizes including money can’t buy tickets to the National Television Awards at the O2 and a 5 course meal at Marcus Wareings’ restaurant in London. It promises to be a great evening for all.”

The event will be held at The Roslin Hotel, in Thorpe Esplanade, Thorpe Bay, on Thursday, May 25. Tickets are £35 each and include a three-course dinner and entertainment. Tables of ten are available for £300.

For more information on Sue’s Fundraising Ball at The Roslin and to buy your tickets, visit suesbhfball.wix.com/theroslin or email suesbhfball@outlook.com