CHILDREN and young people in the North-East are being urged to raise thousands of pounds for charity by taking part in the Big Hush.

The sponsored silence takes place on Friday, January 28, and will be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Research.

Primary schools and after-school groups will be encouraged to keep quiet for at least ten minutes. The initiative raised almost £400,000 last year.

Macmillan fundraiser for the region Wilma Burniston said: "Many children have been affected by cancer or have someone in their family touched by cancer."

To register for the Big Hush, telephone 0845 6011716 or log on to www. macmillan.org.uk/bighush