THE North Durham branch of Parkinson’s UK held a coffee and information day at Durham Town Hall on Saturday, April 12, as part of Parkinson’s Awareness Week. Visitors included Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods.

FREE SESSIONS: Croquet Durham are holding free sessions for new players on their lawns at Aykley Heads, Durham City, until the end of April. The lawns are open daily from 1.30pm until Monday, May 5, except on Fridays and Monday, April 21. For further details, call Roger Carpenter on 0191-386-4511 or visit croquetdurham.org.uk. In the first competition of the season, John-Paul Moberly defeated Arthur Brewster in the final of the Charity One Ball, raising £84 for Prostate Cancer UK.

TEESDALE RAMBLE: Durham Ramblers will do an eight-mile walk around Deepdale and Lartington on Sunday (April 20), starting at 10.30am from the old Post Office in Barnard Castle. Call Sue Goddard on 0191-384-5308.

MUSIC NIGHT: Opera Nova, an amateur opera group, will give a summer concert titled Deceit, Debauchery, Destiny, featuring the music of Verdi, Mozart and Donizetti, in St Brandon’s Church, Brancepeth, on Saturday, April 26, at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £10, can be bought at the door or in advance by calling 07936-080-535 or emailing: mary.coffield@googlemail.com

DIY HELP: B&Q at Durham City Retail Park is hosting DIY Drop-In sessions on April 19 and 21 and May 3, 4, 5, 24, 25 and 26.

SUPPLY TEACHERS: New College Durham will host a recruitment event for teachers to join its supply pool at its Framwellgate Moor campus, Durham, on Wednesday (April 23) from 4pm to 7pm. For more information, call 0191-375-4396 or visit newcollegedurham.ac.uk

CHARITY EFFORT: Customers and staff at Matalan, Durham, have raised £1,261.89 for the children’s charity NSPCC over the past year, part of a national total of £669,942.43.