HOTELIER Sheikh-Abid Gulzar will be celebrating his 70th birthday tomorrow by staging a second charity barbecue BBQ to raise money for Sussex charities.

In August, he welcomed more than 250 guests to the Boship Lions Farm Hotel on the A22 at Hailsham.

The event made about £1,000 for the Polegate-based Children with Cancer Fund and SASBAH (Sussex Association for Spina Bifida And Hydrocephalus).

Now Mr Gulzar, who also owns The Mansion and The Albany hotels in Eastbourne, has decided that before autumn sets in he will open his doors once again.

His birthday barbecue at the Boship will be from 2pm to 6pm on Saturday.

He will be welcoming the public in for food and drink and family entertainment including a children’s bouncy castle.

He said: "I am 70 at the end of September and what better present for me than hundreds of people to join me at the Boship for this fundraising event?

"It will be my birthday weekend. I don’t want presents, I want families, groups and individuals to come along and help me support local charities."

The groups to benefit this time will be:

  • Macmillan Cancer Support
  • Rockinghorse children’s charity
  • The Chaseley Tust
  • Alzheimer’s Society
  • Lark in the Park
  • Children with Cancer Fund
  • SASBAH

Mr Gulzar is planning a really big event this time and he needs the support of the public to make it a big success.

Tickets will cost £5 per person or £15 for a family ticket (maximum of four) but Mr Gulzar is also inviting those in need to attend free of charge.

He said: ‘“The Boship is a wonderful hotel and we have a huge garden at the back. I want the public to make the most of the land I have, and to enjoy it,”’ he said.

‘“We do not limit how much food and drink people have, I just want them all to have a good time, and there will also be plenty of entertainment for all the whole family. This is about supporting charities in Sussex - and also making a 70-year-old a happy man on his birthday."

To book, call 07710 934574.