People throughout the region are responding magnificently to donate much-needed funds for areas devastated by the Asian tsunami.

* Children at Harrowgate Primary School, Stockton, raised £230 by packing bags for shoppers at the town's Sainsbury's store.

* Shops and supermarkets across Stockton and Hartlepool are placing collection buckets at every check-out.

* Richmond Town Hall, North Yorkshire, is opening for donations of money and clothing on Friday.

* Fundraising evening at Tandoori Night, Richmond, on Monday, January 10. Tickets cost £15. Call (01748) 826677 to book.

* York City Council's finance centre in Museum Street is open to people who want to make donations from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

* Churchgoers at Riccall Methodist Chapel, North Yorkshire, raised about £1,100 in less than two hours at a hastily-arranged coffee morning.

* Middlesbrough Theatre will raise cash through a charity performance of Jack and the Beanstalk tomorrow.

* Residents of Middleton Tyas and Moulton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, are invited to a community event raising money for the appeal on Saturday. There will be books, cakes and gift stalls and refreshments. The event runs from 9am to noon.

* A coffee morning will be held at the Parish Centre, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, from 10am to 32pm on Saturday. Refreshments will include tea, coffee, soft drinks, cakes and sandwiches, with all cash raised going to the appeal.

* A fundraising evening for the appeal will be held at Newsham village hall, near Richmond, on Monday January 24, at 7.30pm. For details, call: (01833) 621300.

* Derwentside District Council has pledged to donate the value of all materials recycled in the district in December and January to the disaster relief fund.

* Consett YMCA, County Durham, hopes residents and businesses will help them bring in thousands of pounds for the appeal. The town's Matalan store on the Hermiston Retail Park, which has adopted Consett YMCA as its charity, has already put out collection buckets. To make a donation, contact the YMCA on (01207) 502680.

Are you organising a fund-raising event? If so, let us know. Call the News Desk on 01325 505054/68/65.

Millions in aid not claimed

Taxpayers can give a charity permission to claim the money back on their behalf.

A North-East councillor contacted The Northern Echo yesterday to tell readers how to claim Gift Aid on their contributions if they do not go through a source which asks them automatically.

Councillor Suzanne Fletcher, of Stockton Borough Council said to claim Gift Aid, people can write the name of the charity, their own name in full, their address and postcode on a piece of paper along with the phrase "I want the charity to treat the enclosed donation of £... as a Gift Aid donation". Then sign and date the note.