MEMBERS of Darlington Lions Club have been busy with their annual Christmas collections in recent weeks.

They have been regular visitors to Darlington supermarkets, with collections to raise funds for local charities.

About 150 food parcels will be presented to several local organisations which provide for the needy including the Darlington Food Bank, The Salvation Army, Grange Road Baptist Church and Family Help.

The club is also supporting the Darlington Association on Disability and will sponsor one of the association's children's Christmas parties in December for young people from the ages of four years old to young teenagers and the club will also host the annual senior citizens' Christmas tea party at Elm Ridge Church when there will also be carol singing and the renowned Pierremont Dance Group will entertain the guests.

Darlington lions Club president Pat De Martino thanked all of the Darlington shoppers for their extreme generosity to make all of this possible and many thanks must once again go to the Co-op at Cockerton, Sainsbury's Grange Road and Morrisons of North Road and Morton Park for their much-valued support.