BUSINESSMEN in Maldon are pulling out all the stops to hold a charity fundraiser stuffed with celebrity endorsements for a boy with a life limiting condition.

The three man crew behind Maldon Furniture, based on The Causeway, are holding a fundraiser for ten-year-old Georgie Nye, suffering from DMD (Duchenne muscular dystrophy).

They became a limited company with their own brand a year ago, and wanted to celebrate by holding a fundraiser for a chosen charity.

They found out about Georgie through regular visits by his mother Tina-Jane, and were inspired by their story.

DMD affects one in 3,600 boys, damaging muscle growth, meaning Georgie suffers frequent falls, trouble getting up from sitting position and running, with muscle pain and severe stiffness.

Since advertising their event taking place on August 28, the team have received dozens of donations from local and high profile people.

Debroah Meaden from BBC’s Dragon’s Den, Carol Vorderman from Channel 4’s Countdown, John Challis from Only Fools and Horses, former Top Gear hosts Richard Hammond and James May, the local Tesco and Morrisons have all donated items for auction.

While not confirmed, the team are pursuing donations from BMW, the RAF and Cadburys, and are negotiating to potentially have Formula One driver Mark Webber attend.

Managing Director of Maldon Furniture John Church said the generosity has been ‘overwhelming’.

He said: “Initially we were going to start out as having a friendly and standard fundraiser event, but we thought we’d try and ask some higher profile people just to see if they would respond, and it’s literally exploded.

“People just keep coming out and donating us stuff, which is wonderful. It’s absolutely overwhelming, we just cannot fathom the generosity of the local people and celebrities we’ve spoken to.

“I’ve always gone by the notion of constantly improving customer service, and we had the same thoughts here. Why should we stop at just a fundraiser with a live band, when we could try to make it even better and more memorable?”

Georgie’s family, from South Woodham Ferrers, started out their own fundraising campaign in 2014, and have since raised over £3,000.

Neil Kirby, Marketing Manager for Maldon Furniture, said: “Sadly, Georgie will just be getting worse with age. The purpose of this is to raise money for his family to buy the things he needs to keep his life as comfortable as possibly while he’s here.”

Maldon Furniture will hold their event on August 28 at the Royal Oak, Fambridge Road, Hazeleigh, with a BBQ, live music, raffle and auction for all items.

To donate to Georgie’s trust, visit www.gofundme.com/7zb3go.