NOTHING can be finer than to be in Carolina - unless you are in Durham City, of course.

The city is one of the destinations of a group of US volunteers from its namesake in North Carolina.

The four adults and seven youngsters will be visiting the city on their way to Iona, Scotland, because they want to see the inspiration behind their town.

But they will not just spend their time wandering around the cobbled streets - they will make themselves useful by doing a day's voluntary work.

They will help the Women's Royal Voluntary Service at the new University Hospital Durham in the morning and take a group of children from Trinity School, in Durham, to the cathedral in the afternoon.

The visit, next Friday, is designed to coincide with the United Nations' International Year of the Volunteer.