BUSINESS owner Gareth Phoenix is hoping to raise £2,000 for a charity which is supporting his nine-year-old niece.

Ruby Phoenix, from Hartford, is undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of leukaemia, and her parents Mark and Hayley have been supported by Northwich-based children’s charity the Joshua Tree.

Gareth, from Winnington, wanted to do something as a thank you to the charity, and is organising a Ladies and Gents Evening to raise funds for the organisation.

The fundraiser takes place at Winnington Park Rugby Club on Saturday, April 9, and runs from 7pm until late.

It will feature live music from Maine, hot food, a raffle and an auction for a holiday worth £1,000.

Tickets for the evening are £20, and Gareth is hoping it will be a sell-out to enable him to hit his £2,000 target.

“Ruby’s illness is something you always think will happen to someone else, and has affected everyone in the family greatly,” said Gareth, who owns online gentlemen’s retailers Gentlemen’s Practice, whose motto is ‘every day should be a dapper day.’

“The Joshua Tree has been very supportive, and has helped my brother Mark and sister-in-law Hayley through this.

“I felt I wanted to do something to thank the charity and to raise money to help other people, and came up with the idea of a ladies and gents evening.

“It is a smart dress, not a black tie event, and is intended to be a night of celebration and great entertainment.

“The support for the event locally has been overwhelming, and we have had a lot of prizes donated by local businesses for the raffle.

“I would also like to thank Eurocamp for donating a fantastic holiday worth £1,000 for a family of up to six for the auction.”

Gareth and Mark are members of Winnington Park Rugby Club, and tickets for the fundraising event are available from www.thejoshuatree.org.uk/events.

Gareth has also created an online donations page at www.justgiving.com/gentlemenspractice for people who will not be able to attend the evening but would like to make a donation to the charity.

For more information email info@gentlemenspractice.com.