DAZZLING dresses and suave suits were modelled by Year 11 pupils from Brighton Hill Community College at a fashion show designed to raise money for their end-of-year school ball.

More than £530 was raised on the night, which will be generously matched by Basingstoke’s Barclays Corporate Commerical in their ‘Matched Fundraising’ scheme.

The fundraising event at the Basingstoke school, organised by two members of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Celesta King and Wendy Kersley, was held in the drama theatre.

School governor Mrs King, 40, said: “We hold this event annually and it takes a lot of organising, but it is always worth it, especially as the Year 11s are rewarded with an end-of-school ball after finishing their GCSEs.”

This year, the school leavers’ ball will be held at Oakley Hall Hotel on Sunday, July 3 complete with a buffet and disco.

About 130 people attended the fashion show, which included a raffle with all prizes donated by Brighton Hill-based ASDA, refreshments and a stall selling jewellery, hand-made by a current pupil at Brighton Hill Community College.

The entertainment for the night was provided by Year 11 school band Retrograde, who were finalists in last year’s national school competition, ‘Battle of the Bands’.

All 19 dresses modelled on the night were from Brides of Odiham, and the boys’ suits were from Basingstoke’s Debenhams suit hire and Marks and Spencer.

Hair and beauty students from Basingstoke College of Technology styled everyone’s hair and applied the girls’ make-up, and Frenzy Balloons, of Basingstoke, decorated the theatre with a huge balloon arch in the school’s colours of blue and yellow.

Hosting the show were teachers Pauline Combes and Dan Du-Heaume, while the rest of the Year 11 pupils got involved with the lighting, music and advertising of the fashion show.