A YORK based charity providing help and support for children and young people with special needs is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a black tie dinner.

SNAPPY, special needs activities and play provision for York, raises thousands of pounds each year through the black tie dinner to fund the work they do looking after people from 5-25-years-old who have disabilities ranging from dyslexia to severe autism.

The man behind the yearly black tie dinner, David Brown, raises funds for SNAPPY, putting in hundreds of hours of work each year whilst balancing his fundraising alongside his day job working with the MOD police and as a police constable.

He said: "I hold an annual black tie dinner every September and this years happens to coincide with Snappy's 30th Anniversary.

"The dinner is organized solely by me and I send thousands of emails trying to drum up support and gather raffle prizes and auction lots.

"The evening normally raises between £3,500 and £5,000 but as it's the 30th anniversary I will be trying very hard to raise more this year."

The money raised will help the charity to continue providing vital play and recreational opportunities for children and young people with special needs who are living in York.

The four course dinner will be held at the Royal York Hotel on Saturday, September 13 and guests will also have the chance to bid on a variety of top prizes in the auction.

Prizes up for grabs so far include a place at celebrity chef Peter Sidwell's cookery school in the Lake District, three laps as a passenger at Silverstone in the new Maclaren Supercar and VIP tickets for Formula 1 in Belgium for next year.

David is still looking for prizes and anyone who wants to donate or attend can contact David on dwb@hollicarrs.net or phone 07786632892. Tickets are £50 each or £490 for a table of 10.