A sexual health clinic for teenagers has been launched at Chester-le-Street.

Teenage Confidential has been organised and designed in partnership with Chester-le-Street Youth Centre and the people who use it. It has been funded by the Durham and Chester-le-Street Specialist Health Promotion Service and will take place every Thursday, from 6.45pm to 7.45pm, beginning this week. Angela O'Neil, sexual health outreach worker, said the service would also cater for young people from the surrounding villages, as the youth centre provides a bus to transport them to a weekly disco.

TALENT SHOWCASE: A musical spectacular is to be staged later this month in aid of the Butterwick Children's Hospice appeal. Washington Forge Rotary Club is holding the event to highlight the talents of young performers for the eighth year running. Nearly 300 children will have the chance of performing at the Sunderland Empire theatre. The show is held next Saturday, with curtain up at 7pm. Tickets, priced at £10, £8 and £6, are available on 0191-514 2517.

Free courses: Dipton Community Centre, in conjunction with Derwentside College, is offering two new free courses. A four-week Introduction to Painting with Acrylics starts on Wednesday, January 29, from 1pm until 3.30pm. Introduction to Aromatherapy starts on Monday, February 26, also 1pm until 3.30pm. Both courses are suitable for beginners. For more details, call (01207) 570003.

CHARITY MEETING: The Derwentside committee of Macmillan Cancer Relief holds its annual meeting in the conservatory of the Three Horseshoes pub, Maiden Law, near Stanley, at 7pm on Wednesday, February 12. For further details, contact Hugh Hall, on (01207) 521408.

CRICKET AUCTION: Tantobie Cricket Club holds an auction on Saturday, February 1, in the Commercial, Tantobie, near Stanley. Viewing is from 7pm, with the auction starting at 7.30pm.

Organ meeting: The next meeting of the North-East Organ Society will be held on Wednesday, February 12 at 8pm, in the Red Lion pub, Front Street, Chester-le-Street, when the guest will be Ryan Edwards. For details, call 0191-442 2629.

SIGN PLAN: Lloyds Pharmacy is applying for planning permission to install a neon sign outside its shop, in Station Road, Consett.

BEDROOM FIRE: Firefighters were called to a terraced house in Ninth Street, Horden, near Peterlee, at 2.30am yesterday to deal with a bedroom blaze. They extinguished a small fire.

WARD SURGERY: Easington district councillors Rob Crute, Mark Curry and Jeff Gray, along with Durham county councillor Alan Cox will be holding a surgery in the Blackhalls ward next Saturday, from 10.30am to noon, at Airlie House, Coast Road, Blackhall.