A LEADING pop star has struck a chord with pupils at a rural comprehensive school by backing their bid to become a performing arts college.

The Tyneside-born half of the Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant has agreed to become patron of the venture if Wolsingham School and Community College can raise enough sponsorship to bid for specialist status.

One of the conditions that has to be met before a school can apply for specialist status is to raise £50,000 from private business.

This has proved a momentous task for the school which is set in a largely farming valley where the closures of two major employers have added 200 job losses to the devastation caused by last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Neil bought and renovated a home in the area and, when he's not performing, enjoys the privacy afforded to him by understanding locals.

He has pledged a donation to the college project and is giving guitars and other equipment worth thousands of pounds to help to create a recording studio.

Their value can be counted towards the sponsorship and is a huge boost to the project which occupies a large part of deputy head Paul Lamb's time.

Mr Tennant said: "The performing arts college will be a big boost to the regeneration of the dale.

"Youngsters will gain confidence and experience through learning performing skills as well as a knowledge of the arts.

"At a time when the future of the dale looks increasingly to be connected with leisure, tourism and the arts, the college can help to provide the education and resources needed.

"This important project has my full support."

Mr Lamb's letter to the new patron was one of hundreds sent out to businesses and other organisations all over the country.

Most refused to help, either for 'policy' reasons or because the college did not represent an investment which produced a return.

One of the most disappointing rejections was from a County Durham company which was able to capitalise on the foot-and-mouth disaster.

Mr Lamb said: "We were despairing of making a breakthrough. In an area like Weardale where the main business is agriculture and that business has taken a pounding from the foot-and-mouth crisis, then that task goes from difficult to well-nigh impossible."

The school's head Mitch O'Reilly set up an investigation which found that the ethos of a performing arts college would boost pupils' learning.

Mr Lamb added: "Neil took this on board and also saw that a college would be the spearhead of a vibrant arts life in the dale.

"It is impossible to overestimate the boost this has made to our bid."

Other sponsors include Northumbrian Water, National Windpower and Lafarge UK, which ended production at its Weardale cement works in August