A QUIET corner of Durham Cathedral has been transformed into an oasis of colour for a traditional charity event.

Brightly-coloured sunflowers - all handmade by local schoolchildren - were being hung on trees in the cathedral yesterday.

The sunflower event, now in its eighth year, is staged by St Cuthbert's Hospice, based at Merryoakes, in Durham City, and is designed to raise awareness of the annual sunflower appeal staged by the national hospice movement.

Almost 1,400 children from 15 County Durham schools volunteered to make their own sunflowers and many visited the cathedral yesterday to hang their artificial blooms on the forest of trees near the font at the western end of the cathedral.

Among the children hanging the flowers were pupils from Trinity Special School, in Durham City.

Hospice fundraising co-ordinator Ann Weir said: "They always help us every year. Apparently this year they were offered a choice of a trip to Metroland or coming here to help with the appeal and they chose to come here, which is wonderful."

The sunflowers will be on display until Monday, June 20 to draw attention to the fundraising campaign, which raises several thousand pounds for the hospice. This year, the event coincides with the hospice's Key Appeal to raise the money for a £3.2m extension providing 24-hour specialist palliative care.

Hospice manager Margaret Jefferson said: "It has become an annual event and we are very grateful to the cathedral and the schools for taking part.

"The children enjoy doing it and we enjoy having them here."

Over the next two weeks, St Cuthbert's volunteers will be selling pin sunflower badges and silk flowers for a £1 donation at locations around the area, including the Co-op store in Chester-le-Street tomorrow, Durham Regatta, at the weekend, and Durham's Millburngate Shopping Centre the following weekend.