THERE was an explosion of colour when a Romsey church held a charity fashion show in aid of poverty stricken children.

Children and adults took to the catwalk to display home-made clothes celebrating African culture which dazzled the crowds at the Romsey Christian Centre.

Scores of people were at the Romsey Christian Centre for the Love Africa Ladies Night Charity Event in aid of the Swaziland Borehole Appeal and the Trussel Trust, which organises the Romsey Foodbank.

Church member Lucia Locke designed the clothes which were snapped up by some of those in the audience with proceeds going towards the two charities as well as donations made on the night.

Jackie Walker also helped to organise the colourful event.

In the end the £637 was raised with 10 per cent of the proceeds going towards the Trussell Trust and the remainder - £572 going toward the African appeal.

The cash will go towards work that the church is involved with in Bolembu, in Swaziland, a landlocked country in South Africa, helping children by providing them with a safe supply of water.

Funds will also go towards the soon-to-be-opened Romsey Foodbank or, if not in time, the Salisbury Foodbank, which the church already collects for.

David Walker, minister of the Elim Penecostal Church in Middlebridge Street, said the event went “surprisingly well”.

He said: “We didn’t know how many people would turn up on the night and quite a few did and the enthusiasm on the night was infectious.”