HUNDREDS of music lovers rocked out as a popular charity festival celebrated its tenth year in style.

Cosmic Puffin marked its tenth anniversary over the weekend, at Mersea Youth camp, in Reswalls Lane, East Mersea.

Held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the event welcomes dozens of bands to several different stages.

Hundreds of visitors enjoyed a wide range of music, as well as creative workshops, crafts, healing and activities for everyone including a kids area.

Every year the festival, which is staffed entirely by volunteers, raises thousands of pounds for a range of worthy causes.

This year’s charities were Bliss, a special baby care charity, and The National Autistic Society.

Jamie Anderson, organiser, praised another fantastic turnout.

He added: “The Cosmic Puffin festival started in 2008 and wasn’t really supposed to be a festival at all.

“A close friend of mine had a daughter taken very ill who spent three to four days in a critical condition in St Mary’s Hospital in London.

“I decided to do a gig to raise money for a charity, Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care (COSMIC).

“The children’s ward at Basildon hospital, where she was transferred to after coming out of intensive care, was called Puffin ward and so the name of the festival was handed to me on a plate.”