An East Durham running club has raised more than £400 to help battle poverty in the area.

Run Peterlee spent the latter half of last year fundraising for East Durham Trust with members deploying a number of techniques to raise the funds, ranging from a monthly bonus ball to end of year raffle.

​In addition to the cash donation, the group also donated a vast amount of non-perishable food items to the Trust's emergency food parcel project FEED. These items were collected at Run Peterlee's 5K trail event held last summer.

​Malcolm Fallow, CEO at East Durham Trust, said: "It is fantastic to see a local community group coming together to support a charity on their doorstep. Many of the Trust's projects and interventions rely very much on the good will and kind gestures of volunteers and the wider community. Without such support, it would not be possible to continue to deliver the work we do. This generous donation will be put to very good use in helping those who are less fortunate within our community."

He added: "It is particularly significant that it is a group of runners who put the charity at the heart of their fundraising efforts. As well as supporting the community with various poverty related interventions such as a Food Bank, benefit and debt advice, the Trust also manages 'Run East Durham', an initiative to help encourage local residents to take up physical activity. It is through this project that the group originally established their link and the relationship has developed from here."

A TV star has challenged MPs to give up their salaries in exchange for Universal Credit and a council house as he cut the ribbon to a foodbank extension.

​Ricky Tomlinson was at East Durham Trust's Food Emergency East Durham (FEED) in Peterlee to officially open their storage room where donated food will be kept to be turned into emergency parcels for struggling families and individuals.

​Read the full article (and watch video clip) here.

Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson will open an extension to an East Durham foodbank next month.

Charity Foodbank East Durham Trust says the roll-out of Universal Credit scheme across the area has led to it stepping up its efforts in relation to emergency food parcels in former mining communities.

​The trust will be supported by the former Brookside star as it opens a new storage facility for its Peterlee foodbank next Saturday, March 2.

​Read the full article here.