A keen fundraiser is encouraging the people of Bromyard to get their knickers out in a good cause.

Christie Porteous, of Christie Classics in The Square, is hoping to collect a suitcase full of good quality children's underwear to take to a primary school in the Gambia.

Christie visited the school, in the village of Lamin Daranka, in October. She went with the charity Glosaid and hopes to return in February with money and underwear for the children.

"I took a suitcase of pencils, books and crayons out and the children loved it. They went mad, it was chaos," said Christie, who spent nearly a fortnight at the school.

"It's quite cheap to get school uniform produced there but what the children really need is underwear."

Glosaid has already funded the construction of two classrooms for the school's 37 children and plans to create a nursery in the area.

"The children are wonderful, you talk to them and they collapse into bundles of giggles," said Christie.

"They are so confident though and they love school."

She explained how most of the children's parents are subsistence farmers who cannot afford to send their offspring to school. However, they are able to do so because of sponsorship from Glosaid.

"The people of Bromyard have been fantastic, they have given so generously so far," said Christie.

She is now hoping to collect knickers, socks and vests to take out, as well as raising enough sponsorship to allow 17 more children to attend school.

Just £3.50 a month will provide school registration, books, uniform, pens and anti-Malaria vaccines for a child.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a child, or making a donation, should visit Christie at the shop, or contact her on 01885 488388.