A CHARITY is to help a church with its roof appeal.

St Andrew's Church, Haughton, needs a further £70,000 to go ahead with urgent repairs to its roof after it received a £146,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage.

The repairs would preserve the 12th Century church's tower, chancel and roofs, as well as fund a bat survey.

The Darlington branch of mental health charity Mind is asking people to fill charity bags with clothes, textiles, shoes, bag and coats, and take them to the church between Monday, October 31, and Sunday, November 6.

Mind will collect the bags, weigh them and pay the Raise the Roof Appeal 40p for every kilogram of goods collected.

Bags are available from the church or its office.

A number of events supporting the roof appeal already taken place, including a book fair and a children's bouncy castle event.