AN INFLAMMATORY bowel disease sufferer is looking for the backing of the country’s best-known business mogul to change the lives of sufferers of the chronic condition.

Seb Tucknott needs public votes to give him the opportunity to pitch his vision in Richard Branson’s Pitch to Rich 2015 competition.

The 28-year-old is looking for funding to develop IBDrelief.com – a one-stop shop website for sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with expert opinion on ways of coping with their debilitating illness without relying on just drugs and surgery.

The site will include positive experiences from other sufferers alongside advice and recipes from nutritionists, tailored exercises to help with fatigue and joint pain, a discussion forum and surveys.

Mr Tucknott, from Shoreham, was diagnosed in April 2007 with ulcerative colitis, a form of IBD. and he believes by learning how to manage his condition he has saved the NHS around £100,000 per year, is on only a limited amount of medication and has not had to ensure surgery.

It is hoped the site could become a vital go to information centre for the estimated 300,000 UK sufferers.

Mr Tucknott said his initial diagnosis had led him to fear he would be unable to exercise, work or socialise.

He said: “After eight years of living with the condition I have learnt this is not the case. I’ve done a lot of reading, research and spent time talking to other sufferers about what helps them and I’m now able to live a fairly normal life after making big changes to my diet and lifestyle.”

Mr Tucknott is among 46 local competitors in the Pitch to Rich competition including food education group Moody Guts, anti-bullying seminar organisers The Antibully Effect and a friendship group for child-free women called The League of Fabulous Women.

To vote Mr Tucknott into the next round of the Pitch to Rich competition to win £150,000 visit virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/start-up/ibdreliefcom before Tuesday.