YOUNG school Rotarians have been given badges of approval by a former pupil who has blazed a trail for women.

Members of a new Interact Club at Wolsingham School and Community College in Weardale, County Durham, were presented with their charter and gold badges by Marilyn Potts, the country's only female Rotary district governor.

She was at the school in the 1960s and now works as a translator in Newcastle. Her father, David, is a founder member of Crook Rotary Club which is supporting the new group.

Wolsingham Interact, a junior version of Rotary, already has 40 members who have joined in social and fundraising activities. They have organised a car boot sale and non-uniform day to collect £250 for the Wear Valley Centre for adults with learning disabilities.

The club's 14-year-old president, Kim Roberts, of Wolsingham, leads lively lunchtime meetings. New members are still coming along.

Teachers Roisin McVeigh and Ian Read support the group and Ms McVeigh is in the process of becoming a Rotary member.

She said: "To me Rotary stands for fellowship and supporting charity and I am very much for both these.

"If you are the sort of person who will do something for someone else without expecting anything back, then you will get a lot out of the Rotary movement."

The school's new £240,000 learning centre went online this week offering computer facilities and courses to students and people from the surrounding area.

The New Opportunities Fund provided cash for the transformation of the lower school hall to be transformed into a UK Online and Learn Direct Centre with 24 computers and advanced software.

Assistant headteacher John Maddison said: "It's a wonderful facility and one which I'm sure will benefit the whole school and surrounding area.

"We try to reach out to as many people as possible and this is an ideal way to do that.

"It will help people get to grips with technology and open up new opportunities for them."

Call the school on (01388) 527302 for information.