A MOTHER has been rewarded for her hard work in helping a community project introduce children to reading.

Wendy Brown is a volunteer with the Sure Start project in Darlington where she helps to put together Story Sacks for children in the area.

Each cloth sack contains a tape with a story, a fiction and non-fiction book and a game.

Since she joined the project just under a year ago, Ms Brown has helped put together 50 Story Sacks which have been loaned to schools, community centres and other young people's organisations.

They are also used by staff and volunteers at Sure Start for storytelling sessions.

Sure Start is a Government initiative working to give children under three a good start in life by helping their parents with health, education and play.

Ms Brown attends sessions at the Sure Start Wave 3 Centre on McNay Street in Darlington and has also worked on the sacks at home.

Yesterday, her work was acknowledged when she was invited to a presentation at the Sure Start centre with Councillor Bill Dixon, chairman of Story Sacks in Darlington.

He said: "Wendy has worked incredibly hard on providing a useful resource for the whole community.

"Her work will be enjoyed by youngsters for many years to come and will help introduce many of them to the world of stories, imagination, books and, eventually to become readers themselves."