Young shoppers have been invited to support a charity campaign helping to educate children with speech and language difficulties across the UK.

Sales assistants at Marks and Spencer, in Bishop Auckland, launched the store's Rainbow Appeal with a sponsored walk.

About 20 members of staff completed a seven-mile walk around Barnard Castle earlier this month, to raise £300 towards the appeal in aid of national education charity I CAN.

Kath Yeomans, one of the store's leading fundraisers, said: "It was a great way to start the appeal, which runs until June 8."

The appeal, running in every Marks and Spencer store in Britain, will also raise cash with a rainbow of hope, on which children can pin pictures and words about their hopes and dreams for the next 50 years.

For each hope pinned to a store rainbow, the company has pledged to donate £1 to I CAN, up to £50,000.

Staff at the Bishop Auckland store are urging more youngsters to tell of their hopes, on A5 paper, after more than 40 boys from the 2nd Bishop Auckland Scouts started the display.

Jean Laverick, leader of the group's Beavers section, said: "Our youngsters really enjoyed looking forward to the next 50 years and sharing what they hope it will bring."

"It is also great that children can help other children through this fund-raising idea, they know how much it could help."

Mrs Yeomans, a member of the scout group's council, said: "The more hopes we receive the more money we can raise to help educate children, anyone under 16 can bring their designs along.