TEENAGERS are helping to brighten the lives of older people in County Durham.

Year 10 and 11 students at Durham Gilesgate Sports College, who are doing their gold Prince's Trust XL Award, received a grant to make wooden planters.

They will be filling the boxes with flowers and donating them to older people in the community.

With donations of plants and compost from B& Q Gilesgate, they expect to produce 50 planters.

Keely Fingleton, from Education in the Community's Mid Durham Projects Club, said: "The young people have taken great pride in making and donating the planters to the community where they have been very gratefully received.''