CHARITY health walks across south Durham are the latest in a series of events leading up to the Great North Walk this summer.

The Wear Walking for Health programme, devised by Wear Valley District Council, aims to get people fit for the ten-mile trek around Wolsingham on July 13.

The council has also teamed up with The Northern Echo, Northumbrian Water and Durham Dales Primary Care Trust in the campaign A Chance to Live, which aims to improve the district's poor record on heart disease by encouraging people to take more exercise and eat healthily.

Now the district council has joined forces with The Butterwick Hospice and The Experience Corps to hold eight easy and moderate walks to raise the profile of the hospice.

The programme gets under way on Thursday, May 29, with a trip led by Auckland Amblers to Middleton in Teesdale, starting at 1pm from the B&Q car park, in Bishop Auckland.

Other walks start from Woodhouse Close on June 2; The Four Clocks Project on June 5; Tow Law on June 8; Auckland Castle on June 12; The Four Clocks Project on June 19; and St John's Chapel on June 29.

To complete the series, an early evening hospice amble will explore the area between The Butterwick Hospice and Escomb village, on Monday, June 30.

Walkers will return to the hospice, in Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland, to enjoy strawberries and Champagne.

On each walk, there will be the chance to find out about voluntary work in the community and donations can be made to the charity.

To book, call Lynne Wilson on (01388) 765555.