STUDENTS who took to the great outdoors to help boost their self-esteem and teamwork have scooped an award.

Pathways students from Darlington College formed a group known as The Outcasts to secure £2,000 from a project which helps youth initiatives.

The money from the council Dosh fund helped the group to arrange a trip to the Marrick Priory Outdoor Centre, in Swaledale.

There 38 students and seven staff members tried a range of physical exercises, which in turn helped them to win the "most adventurous" title in the inaugural Dosh awards.

The youngsters looked after every aspect of the trip, including writing to parents, arranging staff cover, undertaking risk assessments and organising travel.

They tackled a host of activities at the outdoor centre including climbing, abseiling, archery and using a zip wire.

College tutor Ali Wright said: "The students did an absolutely outstanding job on this project and showed tremendous enthusiasm for it.

"The fact that the trip was such a big success was all down to their hard work and I'm thrilled that the Dosh Awards recognised this."

The event, held at Carmel College, in Darlington, was designed to honour the most impressive projects to have gained Dosh funding over the past three years.