A CRISIS centre which gives sanctuary to women and children has been given a colourful makeover thanks to an interior designer.

Lucy Tiffney, who was the runner up on BBC 2’s Great Interior Design Challenge, has painted murals on the walls of the playroom at the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse, in Colchester.

The charity project has taken Lucy months of planning and two weeks of hard graft.

But it was only possible thanks to the Colchester branch of Santander, which put forward the group for a community award, which it won.

It meant the centre was given a £5,000 to hire Lucy for the work.

She said: “I’m really excited to see everyone’s reaction.

“It’s a really old building and the idea was to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone. I have loved every minute of it.

“I’ve had lots of volunteers who have been helping me.”

The centre is a confidential support service run by women for children and women who have suffered sexual violence.

Helen Parr, director of CARA, said the playroom would help children who had been sexually abused.

She said: "I really want to thank the Colchester Branch of Santander and the Santander Foundation.

"We wouldn’t have been able to do this work without their support."