Help at hand for childrens' Flora Day outfit costs
BBCYoung people keen to join a Cornish town's traditional spring celebrations are being offered free outfits for the big day.
Flora Day in Helston, Cornwall is held on 8 May every year and is well known for its dancing, music and formal costumes.
The Children's Dance is a 'coming-of-age' ritual for all Helston families but there had been fears the all-white costumes could prove too expensive for some households.
The town's community college has been fundraising to offer children pre-worn clothes and some brand-new outfits for Flora Day, so that no-one has to miss out due to the cost.
Clare O'Hare is a teacher at Helston Community College and the driving force behind the Flora Day Clothes Library.
She said she had always had a few items to hand out to people, but the demand had risen recently.
O'Hara said: "We've had more and more students coming to us and asking for help, we've had emails from parents asking for help, and conversations which we have overheard with students saying they weren't going to be able to do Flora Day because they couldn't get the items.
"So me and a friend of mine decided we were going to take this a little bit further this year and actually approach some local businesses and ask them for some help purchasing some items and that's what's allowed us to have a bigger selection of dresses, trousers, shirts etc for the students to borrow."
O'Hara added many parents were also worried their child would only wear the outfit for one day and then grow out of it before next year's event.
Fellow teacher Sarah Doolin added: "I think especially for the girls when dresses are involved, different lengths and sizes and shapes, it can be really tricky so it's really lovely to know there's some flexibility here and variety, so lots of students have got that chance to have a try, take part and take that pressure off."
Grace is one of the students who has been helped by the scheme.
She said: "It makes the whole 'finding a dress' thing a lot less stressful because having to search online and then having the option where it may come in cream takes so many tries to get it right, so being able to come here with Miss O'Hare and finding a dress that's completely white and fits you is amazing."
Year nine student Maddie added: "For the past two years I've ordered dresses online and they've come back cream and it's been really really annoying when I've been wearing them, but I feel this one is a good fit and it's nice and it covers right so it's good."
Flora Day is a day-long celebration of the passing of winter and the coming of summer
Like Padstow's more pagan May Day counterpart, Obby Oss, the rules and traditions are strictly adhered to, and that includes the dress code.
For the 07:00 BST dance ladies wear bright summer dresses, while their partners wear white shirts and the Helston Town tie.
The Children's Dance at 09:50 BST features over 1,200 children from Helston's four schools, dressed all in white, with headdresses for the girls and school ties for the boys.
At the Midday Dance ladies wear long dresses, picture hats, and evening gloves, while gentlemen turn out in tailcoats, waistcoats, and grey top hats.
The 17:00 BST Dance sees the return of the 07:00 BST dancers in their finery.
The dancers follow the same routes every year, weaving in and out of the town's narrow streets and through selected houses and shops, all with buttonholes and corsages of Lily Of The Valley flowers.
As well as the dances, there are seven performances of Hal-an-Tow around the town during Flora Day.
This is a dramatic telling of Helston's history which features Robin Hood, St George and St Michael, the town's patron saint.
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