A SERIES of dress-down days at a company has helped charities get a cash boost.

This year Julie Phillips, team leader for Andover-based Stannah Lift Services Ltd has organised a series of monthly dress-down days to raise crucial funds for an array of charities which has been match funded by 150 per cent to mark the company's 150th anniversary.

Staff were encouraged to donate £1 each on the designated days in February, March, April, May, June, July and August this year.

The charities benefitting were the Macular Disease Society, which received £516.38, the Abel Foundation, which got £287.70, Breathe Easy Andover, which got a boost of £252.58, the Joseph Patrick Trust, landing £344 and Andover Neighbourcare, benefitting to the tune of £315.15.

In May, Headway, the brain injury association, received £265.60 at a dress-down day with a difference as everyone who took part donned their most fabulous hats, in addition to their casuals.

The dress-down days will continue for the rest of the year and the hope is that they will also carry on into 2018.

Julie said:“Holding these dress-down days has shown how just a small contribution from everyone can make such a difference to the lives of others.”

Thanks to a donations box kept on reception at the firm's head office and by encouraging staff and visitors to donate any loose change, an additional £279.13 has also been raised for the Countess of Brecknock Trust Hospice.

Overall this brings the grand total raised through the monthly dress-down days, loose change donations box and the Stannah 150% match-funding to a £2,257.54.