BRIGHT yellow daffodils, quirky cup cakes and carefully crafted cards have helped to raise cash to send life-saving water kits to Haiti.

Food, arts and craft producers from across Derbyshire took part in a charity shopping event at Blackbrook House, near Belper.

It is thought proceeds will total more than £400 for the Wirksworth-based Aquabox appeal. The money will help to pay for the distribution of Aquaboxes – which provide safe, clean drinking water in areas where none is readily available – in earthquake-hit Haiti.

The event was organised by Deb Ellingham, who enlisted the help of the county's independent producers through her website, fabulousplaces.co.uk

She said: "Fabulous Places is all about promoting independent producers from Derbyshire and Aquabox is a fantastic local charity.

"The work they are doing in Haiti is really important but it isn't on the news as much as it was, which is why I felt it was crucial to keep awareness up.

"We had about 150 people come to the event and we packed out the house – it was a bit of a squeeze but it was for a really good cause."

Tickets were £5 and most of that money will be donated to Aquabox later this week.

Firms including Blossom Tree florists, of Melbourne, Jack Rabbits food shop, in Derby, and Cameo Cupcakes, from Spondon, took part.

Deb, from Heanor, said: "It was great to see so much support for a local charity."

Haiti was hit by an earthquake and several violent aftershocks in January. The disaster killed 200,000 people and left a million more homeless and without clean water.

Businesses, schools, churches and community groups across the UK have donated money to Aquabox, run by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth.

It has also been backed by the Derby Telegraph's Give Water, Give Life campaign, which has helped to raise more than £211,000 for the charity.

More than 1,600 boxes have been sent to Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. They are each capable of cleansing 1,100 litres of water of diseases like typhoid, cholera and dysentery.

The boxes also contain essential items such as clothes, tools and cooking pots.