TEXTILES students at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy have sewn dresses for children in deprived parts of the world.

All 11 members of the Dress A Girl Club have been working hard all term to make dresses for girls who only expect to have one dress during their childhood.

Emily Munn, 13, from Royal Wootton Bassett, is one of the students taking part in the project.

She said: “I’m trying to help people around the world by sewing them dresses. My nan helps me sew at home. I don’t do it all the time but it is a bit of a hobby of mine.

“It’s good to be able to give something to people who haven’t got what I’ve got and to do things for other people.

“I know these will go to someone who needs it.”

Textiles teachers Anne Tregenna and Annie Tuffin started up the after school club after they were approached by Pat Jeans, who had made 100 dresses already for the cause.

Anne said: “It’s brilliant. I’m really impressed with what they’ve done.”

Annie said: “It’s for charity really and as a global school in a local community we have a lot of links and commitments around the world. It’s just another thing we can do to help other children.”

The pair set up the group with Pat Jeans shortly after Easter, and already the class has made around 25 dresses.

Anne said: “I was going to set up the group anyway when Pat got in touch. She’s made hundreds of dresses herself and was looking for some more help.

“We chose a group of year 10 textiles students and did about two weeks of training with them so that they could teach some of the younger pupils, so it’s a student-led project.

“We have students in years 7 to 10 taking part.”

The dresses are made out of cotton, and if necessary, can be made out of things as simple as pillow cases.

Annie said: “Some of the students have brought in material themselves to use.

“The finished product will go to places like Uganda or China or India where girls don’t get new dresses.”

Dress a Girl Around the World was set up in 2006 as a campaign in the Hope 4 Women International organisation.

It aims to bring dignity to women around the world by clothing them.