NEARLY £500 has been raised for a local primary school through a well-attended fashion show and sale.

The Friends of the Erme Primary School put on the event, which raised £477 towards a new teaching kitchen for the Ivybridge primary.

The Friends thanked all the volunteers that made the event possible, and the cast of models that strutted their stuff and showed off the high street labels on sale.

A spokesperson added: ‘Encouraging healthy eating is an important ethos within the school, and enabling children to participate in cooking from a young age is a great way to instil good eating habits, encourage creativity and provide them with essential life skills and confidence.

‘The Erme Primary School is a small school, with 126 pupils, and the per capita allocation from the education authority does not enable the school to meet more than the basic educational needs of the children.

‘Friends of the Erme Primary School therefore works hard to raise funds for extra resources and facilities, to ensure our children get the best and most holistic education possible, and are not disadvantaged by the lack of economies of scale.

‘We are now only £1000 away from our goal, so with a bumper Christmas Fair and a bit of luck we may get there by the end of this year.’

As well as the Fair on Saturday, December 12, the Friends hope to generate some cash for the school by encouraging supporters to do their online shopping through www.easyfundraising.org.uk. By using the website to access more than 2000 well known retailers, members of the public can generate a free donation to the Erme Primary School for the benefit of the children.