Overseas trips for students

TWO students from Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College are busy fundraising to do voluntary work overseas in their gap year.

Laura Howard, 17, from Darlington, will spend time with the Project Trust in South Africa, working with abandoned babies and children with HIV.

Michelle Cockburn, 18, from Woodham, Newton Aycliffe, will be working with Eye to Eye International, teaching English and PE in a primary school near Colombo, in Sri Lanka. Michelle needs to raise £2,000 and Laura £3,500 to fund their trips.

FLAG DAY: St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington, is seeking volunteers to help with a flag day on Saturday, April 27. Contact David or Craig in the fundraising office on (01325) 254321.

TOWN WALK: A guided walk around Darlington sets off from the parcels office at Bank Top railway station, next Sunday, at 1.45pm. There will be a charge of £2 for adults and £1 for pensioners, children and people holding a council leisure saver card, payable at the start of the walk.

CHURCH AID: Christingle services at St Herbert's and St John's churches, in Darlington, raised almost £350 for the Children's Society. A service for St John's School, held at St John's Church, raised £110.

GOURMET EVENING: A gourmet evening will be held at St James the Great Church, Darlington, on March 8, with Mass at 7pm.

NEW CHAIRMAN: Brian Stephens, leader of Sedgefield Borough Council, has been appointed chairman of the Sedgefield borough's Local Strategic Partnership. Durham county councillor Neil Foster and Ray Sunman of the West Cornforth Community Partnership are vice-chairmen.

CARS DAMAGED: The nearside wing mirrors of a Vauxhall Astra and silver Skoda Octavia estate, in St Paul's Gardens, Spennymoor, were pulled off between 10pm on Friday and 7am on Saturday.

OPEN EVENING: Bishop Auckland College is holding an open evening on Thursday, from 6pm to 8pm. For details call 0800 092 6506.

ANGLERS MEET: The annual meeting of the Weardale Fly Fishers is being held at the Grey Bull pub, Stanhope, next Sunday, at 7.30pm.

WINDOW SMASHED: Glass in the kitchen door of a house in Booth Walk, Newton Aycliffe, was smashed overnight on Sunday.

PHONE THEFT: A Phillips Savvy BT Cellnet mobile phone, valued at £80, was stolen from an unlocked plant room in the Eden Arms Hotel complex, Rushyford, between 9.30am and 9.45am on Saturday.