FRIENDS of Durham Hospitals has donated £2,000 each to St Cuthbert’s Hospice and Willow Burn Hospice and £500 to Durham Hospitals Radio. The Friends also pledged £4,500 to buy bed alarms for two more hospital wards. The announcements were made at the Friends’ annual general meeting, which ended with a talk by Rev Kevin Tromans, lead chaplain for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

DIAMOND EVENSONG: The 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation is to be marked by a special evensong service at Durham Cathedral at 3.30pm on Sunday, June 2. The service will include words and music from the coronation, held in Westminster Abbey in 1953. It will feature a choir made up of pupils from Durham School and Durham Johnston School. The Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, Sue Snowdon, will attend. The service will last about an hour. All are welcome.

CHARITY COLLECTION: The County Durham branch of SSAFA, the armed forces charity, would like to thank everyone who donated during collections in Durham city centre on Saturday, May 11, and at Sainsbury’s, at the Arnison Centre, Pity Me, on Friday, May 17. The collections raised £468.13 and £686.38, respectively, making a total of £1,154.51. The organisation supports veterans and their families.

FUEL THEFT: Thieves stole diesel from a mini bus at Cedars Academy school, in Gateshead, on Thursday (May 16). The fuel was siphoned from the vehicle. Northumbria Police are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.

STARBUCKS PLAN: Durham County Council is being asked to grant planning permission for the opening of a Starbucks shop in the Durham Marriott Royal County Hotel, on Old Elvet, Durham. The coffee shop would open in the existing Cruz Brasserie.