HAVE you ever heard of Sarah Farley? No, well if I told you she lived in Darlington and is one of the youngest college principals in the UK, perhaps you would be surprised.

And, if I went on to say that she has just been appointed a deputy lieutenant of County Durham and in her spare time will be walking in the foothills of Everest this Christmas, perhaps you will start to sit up and take notice.

So, what is Ms Farley all about?

In 2001, she became principal and chief executive of Darlington College of Technology, after serving for five years as its director of curriculum.

Ms Farley, who is 40, works with 600 members of staff and thinks it is a "fantastic" job.

"The job is very much about unlocking the potential of individuals and transforming people's lives," she said. "Being principal provides me with daily challenges, but it is the most rewarding job I have ever done.

"My vision is to develop the college into a centre of vocational excellence which provides first-class education and training and motivates individuals to aim higher and succeed in technician, higher craft, associate professional skills and continue learning throughout life.

"In this way, the college is playing a leading role in supporting business, stimulating enterprise and contributing to a thriving local economy and the creation of a more socially inclusive society."

Earlier this year, the college announced plans to move to a new £30m building in Haughton Road, bringing to a close more than 100 years of education at the college's Cleveland Avenue site, which will be sold. The college's Larchfield Street sports centre will also be disposed of.

It will form part of an extensive development for the area which is set to include new businesses, a hotel and conference facilities.

The new college will have car parking, leisure facilities, football pitches and a main learning resource study area. Discussions are also ongoing with different agencies to bring additional facilities, such as a health centre, on to the campus.

"The investment in education and teaching issued to Darlington over the next three years is huge.

"When you think about the plans for this college in Haughton Road and the current developments at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, the education scene is transforming more or less overnight and is having a major impact in terms of the quality and status of educational provision for everyone."

Ms Farley believes the new plans are inspiring and will engage and motivate people to learn and continue to learn throughout their life.

She feels incredibly fortunate to be working in such a vibrant community - both in Darlington and Catterick.

"Darlington is a fantastic place to work - there's inspirational leadership in the town and this provides real opportunities to develop high-quality provision and services through joined up planning and delivery.

"The college is playing a leading role in upskilling the existing workforce to support changing employment patterns and new skills in the workplace.

"We are developing new partnerships with employers to jointly deliver training programmes to meet their specific needs

"We are also delivering new vocational courses for 14- to16-year-olds who wish to follow vocational options alongside their GCSEs in school and we will establish a university centre as part of our new campus working with the University of Teesside and Queen Elizabeth."

Ms Farley is originally from Manchester and left school aged 18. She worked for the shop workers' union, Udsaw, for five years, before going back to college full-time to gain her teaching qualification.

After working her way up to a senior lecturing position in Liverpool she moved to Chester before coming to Darlington.

She said: "If I did it all again, I might have been a journalist or a barrister. But when I was at school the careers guidance wasn't as good as it is today and opportunities weren't quite the same. That's why I feel so passionately about high-quality careers guidance which ensures a good range of opportunities to meet everybody's needs.

"I'm very fortunate in terms of where I've ended up. It's really important for people to reach their potential and exploit the opportunities available to them.

"I have to say I've got a good team around me and that obviously makes a huge difference. But I think when you are in a very exciting and fast-changing role like this, it drives you to achieve more and more. You've got to seize the moment and the opportunities to move forward."

Last month, Ms Farley was officially appointed as a deputy lieutenant of County Durham and will support the Lord-Lieutenant, Sir Paul Nicholson, in his work.

"It was a great surprise when I was asked, because I hadn't had a lot of contact with his office in the past, but it is a huge honour," she said.

She also sits as vic- chairman on the governing body at Beaumont Hill School, and is also a member of the Darlington Partnership and of the Teesside Open College Network.

In her spare time, Ms Farley is just as busy.

"This job can be stressful and there are long hours, so it's good to have a recreational activity to turn to.

"My love of hill walking and trekking allows me to completely switch off from time to time and refresh myself. It's pure escapism and being close to the Dales, Yorkshire Moors, Pennines and Lakes is wonderful.

"I have been fortunate to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world in South America, Africa and Asia and climbed many peaks in these countries.

"My favourite country for trekking is Nepal - I have visited it many times and enjoy the culture and stunning mountain scenery there."

And instead of spending Christmas in England this year, Ms Farley will return to Nepal for the tenth time, to trek in the foothills of Mount Everest to raise money for St Teresa's Hospice