A COUNTY Durham estate agency has donated £5,000 to a charity supporting children in Africa.

JW Wood, which has six offices in County Durham, has been working with Suubi Africa UK, a charity set up to build a home for six abandoned children in Uganda.

Since 2008 it has also built a school, medical centre, children’s home, community building and a farm in Uganda as well as providing regular play and educational sessions for hundreds of young people.

The donation comes as part of an eight-year relationship between the estate agency and the charity, which has its head office in Consett.

JW Wood chairman, Keith Johnson, said: “We are delighted to be able make this donation to help improve the lives of children many of which don’t have access to the most basic of life’s essentials that we often take for granted.

“As a business it is important to us that we are able to support people that need the most help and this donation comes as part of JW Wood’s long standing commitment to a number of charities both locally and abroad.”

Christine Steptoe, a trustee for Suubi Africa UK, said: “When we set up the charity we never envisage we would achieve all that we have today. It’s thanks to donations from JW Wood right here in County Durham that we are able to support so many young people and truly make a difference to their lives.”