A FUN fashion event has helped to raise vital funds for learning equipment for visually impaired children.

Held in Thornbury, Frock Swap allowed girls to swap clothes whilst also collecting money to provide Smart Braillers for children.

Miss Bristol and Avon/Miss Eco 2015, Meg Abernethy-Hope, was the special guest at the event - giving beauty and fashion tips she will give to all the ladies on the day.

Project Brailler was founded by Kristy Hooper of Bristol whose daughter, Lily-Grace, was registered as severely sight impaired at 10 months.

Now seven years old, Lily-Grace won her Smart Brailler in a WonderBaby competition in February and, as Kristy says, “I am truly grateful to everyone who voted for her; nine weeks later I’m still meeting people who backed my child”.

However, though Lily-Grace won the brailler, Kristy couldn’t celebrate. She added: “I felt flat. I knew the other children in the competition also needed a Brailler.

“So I threw myself into Project Brailler with the aim of raising £5,000 to pay for three Braillers – thus making winners of ALL the children in the competition.

”I have now achieved that task – £7,000 has already been donated - but I’m not done raising money and awareness for these awesome visually impaired kids.

“I have set the target for Project Brailler even higher and aim to help provide VI children and their parents in the UK with Smart Braillers, other materials and home support.

‘Frock Swap’ is the latest stage in Kristy’s fundraising drive a challenge which has already seen her record a single, ‘Brailler Girl’, in the Manic Street Preachers’ studio.

She hopes to welcome many fashion- and fun-loving females to fundraise at ‘Frock Swap’ because, as she says, “A Smart Brailler cost £1495.00, a pencil and paper under a quid. Life dealt these kids a hard enough blow when it took their sight.

“Please help me continue to raise money to give these bright, articulate inspirational children a better future.”