SPORTS students have held an event to raise money to help two disabled students get to the Special Olympics.

New College Durham students Michael MacGurk and Brad Whitfield have been selected to play football for Team GB at the Los Angeles games next year and need to raise £2,500 each.

Colleagues held a Sports Disability Awareness at the college which raised £118 to help the pair make it to the games.

Michael, an 18-year-old from Leadgate, said: “It means the world to me that the staff and students at New College Durham are getting behind me and my team mates.

“I am looking forward to the whole experience of the Special Olympics and hopefully coming back with a medal.”

The Sport Disability event also helped to raise awareness of disabilities and provided able-bodied students with the opportunity to participate in activities such as wheelchair volleyball and blindfold cricket, to experience playing sport with a disability.

Simon Fairbairn, Sports Lecturer at New College Durham, said: “We are very proud of the achievements of Michael and Brad and are keen to support them in any way we can.

“All of the students and staff that took part in the disability event really enjoyed it and I am sure this is the first of many fundraising events.”