Easington - Down Your Way

Staff at County Durham Housing Group and its landlords – Dale & Valley Homes, Durham City Homes and East Durham Homes – raised £410 for Alzheimer’s Society with a Christmas-themed dress down day. Durham City Homes’ colleagues also raised £30 for Durham-based charity Waddington Street Centre through a separate Christmas jumper day. And employees of East Durham Homes collected and donated food to East Durham Trust’s FEED project, which supports local families and individuals by providing emergency food parcels. County Durham Housing Group’s Chief Executive Bill Fullen, said: “This is a fantastic outcome for these worthwhile causes, and shows what can be achieved by working together. In the last financial year, colleagues across County Durham Housing Group raised more than £11,000 for a variety of charities. This year employees across the group will be holding a charity dress down day each month to raise money for three charities that colleagues recently voted for: British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

A Rock’n’Roll Record Hop with Krazy Ken will be held in Easington Colliery Social Welfare Centre on Saturday. Doors will open at 6.45pm and entry is £2.

A sad loss for Easington Colliery was the closure of the Stray Aid charity shop, which moved to 52-54 Middle Street, Blackhall, on November 29. Thanks goes to all valued and regular customers who shopped at the store over the past six years. Thanks also goes to the dedicated shop volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to make it all a success over the years. Assistant manager Lee Henderson said: “Although the charity is based in Coxhoe, it accepts animals from a wide catchment area. The charity itself has been going for ten years now and we take in stray dogs from County Durham, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough – last year we had over 1,500. The shops raise money to support the day-to-day running of the shelter, as well as any veterinary treatment the animals may require when they arrive. Dogs stay a minimum of just over a week in order to ensure they are healthy enough to be rehomed, but some require care for much longer. The shop opening went really well and we had a lot of interest. Hopefully we can build up a new customer base as well as welcome some of our old customers and do really well here.”

A beginners’ line dancing class started on Thursday in Easington Colliery Social Welfare Centre from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Go along to keep fit and meet new friends. Everyone is welcome and sessions cost £3.50.

Free Chinese New Year children’s activities will be held at Healthworks to celebrate the year of the Red Chicken on Friday, January 28, from 4pm to 5.30pm. Children under nine must be accompanied by an adult.

More than 50 students from five different schools in the North East Learning Trust performed together in a Christmas Carol concert in Elvet Methodist Church in Durham. Students from The Academy at Shotton Hall, Browney Academy, Easington Academy, Diamond Hall Junior School and Teesdale Secondary School met for the first time as they performed. Lesley Powell, CEO of the North East Learning Trust, said: “It was great to see all our students performing together under one roof. Not only were students working together, but also staff came together to organise the brilliant festive show – well done everyone.”

Do you run an arts activity in East Durham? Maybe you attend dance classes in the local Community Centre or have a drama group. Perhaps you have a knitting or craft group, or you attend a local choir. Anything from crafts to traditional art, from performance to poetry. It is hoped to advertise art taking place everyday in East Durham so that the fantastic things that are on offer can be showcased. Message East Durham Trust or email [email protected] with the day, time, address, contact details of the organiser and any details about the group you’d like to share. For more information, call Jess on 0191 5693511.