A SOUTHAMPTON businessman will be giving residents the opportunity to win top prizes to support a cash-strapped charity.

Owner of social media group GI Media, Dowayne Neufville, whose wife had breast cancer a year and a half ago, wanted to help Wessex Cancer Trust's appeal to raise £600,000 by the end of January.

He said the charity is "close to his heart" after his partner Helena Boyce went through four years of chemotherapy and had a mastectomy to remove her breast.

The father-of-two contacted the charity to help as soon as he heard about their appeal, as they face risk of closing if they do not raise the money by January 31 2020.

Dowayne said: "Although Helena didn't get support from Wessex Cancer Trust herself, cancer is on the increase and the support services surrounding it are very limited.

"The biggest issue in our family was knowing that person so close to you could have died. How do you get over the mental side of that?

"You don't get brought up knowing how to deal with it.

"Having this service is invaluable and you cannot put a number on it. It is a pillar in society. To go through Helena having cancer over four years, you can only imagine."

The competition being run by GI Media will enable people who enter a prize draw to win products and services from over 100 city businesses.

Prizes include an overnight stay at luxury hotel and spa, Southampton Harbour Hotel, £650 of studio recording time at SouthLab Studio in Shamrock Quay, and free drinks at exclusive Art deco bar 1932 in Above Bar Street.

Dowayne added: “To me this seemed like the ideal way to raise money because everyone is a winner.

"Local people have the opportunity to win some amazing prizes and know they’re contributing to keeping cancer support services running in our communities, and by getting involved local businesses benefit from our expertise of raising awareness for them.

"We’re looking forward to seeing how much we can raise for Wessex Cancer Trust and other local charities.”

Entry is from £1 and the January draw can be entered at upthehighstreet.uk, which will go live between January 1 and 23.

Every penny raised in this first draw will go towards Wessex Cancer Trust’s crisis appeal.

Businesses who would like to get involved can contact Dowayne at hello@gimedia.co.uk.

To donate, text SAVEWESSEX to 70085 or visit justgiving.com/campaign/savewessexcancertrust.