STUDENTS at a Wimborne school will be raising smiles as well as money with their summer prom.

The sixth form pupils at QE School are digging deep to raise cash for Julia’s House Hospice in Corfe Mullen at the same time as they fundraise for the formal leaving event.

On the day of the prom in July, which will be held at Athelhampton House in Dorchester, they will also release helium balloons printed with ‘QE prom 2013, for the Julia’s House’ into the sky.

Student Bethanie Didcott, who is one of 10 on the prom’s organising committee, said: “We wanted to do something different to give back to a charity, rather than just trying to raise money for our prom.

“We were all really keen for the money to go to Julia’s House – there are lots of people who have needed to use the hospice themselves, or they have brothers or sisters who have, so we wanted to do something to help.”

Since October last year, the committee has raised £600 through events including a popular cake sale.

Bethanie, 18, said: “We also held a mufti day to raise money.

“We can wear our own clothes to sixth form, so we wore our old uniforms instead for the day.”

She said students are hoping to raise a minimum of £200 for Julia’s House.

“That’s the lowest amount of money we want to raise,” she said.

“Hopefully, it will be a lot more than that though. At the prom, we will be selling the balloons, with all profits going to the charity, and we’ll finish the night by letting them go.

“Someone from Julia’s House is going to come to the prom too so we can give them a cheque for the charity.”