Army's 'home from home'

A WELFARE charity is helping to provide a "touch of home" for 16-year-old students. Harrogate's Army College's new centre was formally opened this week by General Sir Roger Wheeler. It is run by charity workers Frank and Carole Allen, and offers rookie soldiers a place to relax and discuss problems. The college, based at Uniacke Barracks, on Pennypot Lane, trains 1,344 young soldiers each year and they leave to begin a more specialist phase of training.

Lottery boost: Musicians will be sounding better than ever after securing a Lottery grant to buy new instruments. Ripon City Band is among 12 projects in the Yorkshire and Humber region to benefit from a total cash hand-out of £262,000 from the regional arts Lottery programme. The band will use its £16,000 to purchase 16 instruments to complement those already owned by its 26 players.

Bank closure: The A170 road at Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, will be closed for a full day on Thursday, March 21, for essential safety checks and repairs to be carried out to the route and the rock face before the start of the Easter tourist season. The normal diversion route through Coxwold, Wass and Ampleforth will be signed.

PUBLIC DEBATE: A public meeting to debate the tax burden on small businesses and everyday people, will be held from 8pm next Wednesday, March 20, at The Bay Horse, in Catterick Village from 8pm, and not Tuesday as reported in The Northern Echo this week. We apologise for any confusion we may have caused.

SPORT success: Sport in the Dales has been given a boost with 11 students and parents from Leyburn's Wensleydale School successfully completing Community Sports Leader Awards. Some of the pupils have already put their new qualification to use, helping to coach children at Leyburn Primary School.

Soccer cash: Wigginton Grasshoppers under-15s football team has been awarded a £200 grant from gas company Transco to pay for new training tops.

INQUEST VERDICT: A verdict of natural causes was yesterday recorded at an inquest into the death from lung cancer of 78-year-old Isaac Nellist, a retired pipe lagger of Venables Road, Guisborough, east Cleveland.