THE crew of one of the Royal Navy's newest ships will visit a North-East shopping centre this weekend on a mission to raise cash for children's wards at two hospitals.
HMS Bulwark, a landing platform dock ship, is under construction at Barrow-in-Furness, but the crew is already working hard to establish links with local people in County Durham, the ship's affiliated county.
On Saturday and Sunday they will join forces with the Royal Navy's North-East recruiting team for a weekend of fun and games at the Metro-Centre.
Commander Trevor Gulley, commanding officer of HMS Bulwark, said: "The MetroCentre management offered us the use of Exhibition Square and it was just too good an opportunity to miss.
"We decided to organise a fun event to raise money for the children's ward at Bishop Auckland Hospital in County Durham.
"Given that the event is in Gateshead, we're also raising money for the children's ward at Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital."
Nurses from the hospital and staff from the Federation Brewery will join a cyclathon and rowathon in which the aim is to travel the equivalent of Plymouth to Gateshead, 630km, over the two days."
There will also be a prize draw.
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