THE warm friendly hospitality of the North-East has won the heart of a South African visitor who has spent three months in the region.

Aruna Singh explored the facilities at Bishop Auckland College as part of a senior management development programme funded by the British Council and a management development initiative in South Africa.

She is one of 27 Tirisano Fellows from South Africa who have stayed at colleges throughout the UK, but the only one who was placed in the North.

She said: "I'm glad that Bishop Auckland College had a placement and I would certainly like to see other fellows placed here.

"I have been to England before, but not to the North-East. There is a warmth and friendliness that you don't really get down South."

Last week, the college said a fond farewell to their visitor before she returned to Madadeni College, in Newcastle, South Africa.

She takes with her ideas about developing partnerships in community learning.

College principal Joanna Tait said: "It has been a wonderful experience for us to meet someone from a different culture and we have learned a great deal about South Africa."