CONFIDENCE-BUILDING: A confidence-building session is being held by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Adult Learning Service. Discover the Confident, Assertive You will take place at the SureStart Grangetown Children's Centre on Tuesday, February 8, from 9.30am to 11.30am. A free crche is provided by SureStart. For more details, contact Angie Miller on (01642) 453127.

STORY SACK: Two story sack sessions will be held to help parents improve the way they share and read with their children. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Adult Learning Service is hosting the sessions on Thursday. SureStart South Bank and Grangetown is providing free crches at the sessions in Grangetown Children's Centre, from 9.30am to 11.30am, and South Bank Youth and Community Centre, from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. For more information, ring Karen Doyle on (01642) 770810 or Angie Miller on (01642) 453127.

MUSIC MARATHON: The Eston Education Action Zone's Band of 78, a brass and percussion band of 50 students, aged 11 to 19, play a three-hour fundraising concert at the City Learning Centre, Eston, on Monday, for the victims of the tsunami. Music director Kel Dennis hopes to raise up to £500 from sponsorship. Anyone who wants to listen to the free concert, from 5pm to 8pm, is welcome to drop in at any time.

COMIC RELIEF: A company which supplies support services to an international chemical site is calling on workers to help Comic Relief. SembCorp's OC5 contact centre is taking telephone pledges on red nose night in March. The centre, at Wilton, took more than £150,000 in pledges from the public in 2003. The centre is providing its services from 6,30pm to midnight and is appealing for workers to help man the telephones.