A COMPANY hopes to raise around £10,000 for an African children’s hospital at an anniversary dinner.

More than 300 people are expected to attend an event at Ramside Hall Hotel, in Durham City, tomorrow night to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of business support company RTC North.

The dinner and charity auction will raise much-needed funds to support the Freetown Children’s Hospital, in Sierra Leone, which cares for some of the world’s most needy children, but has to survive on an annual budget of just £150,000.

So far, £3,000 has been raised through ticket sales and organiser hope to raise a further £7,000 on the night. Over the course of the coming year, RTC North plans to raise £50,000 for the hospital and has already donated £7,700 to buy a new generator to help overcome the daily power cuts which staff have to cope with.

Chief executive Gordon Ollivere MBE said: "I am enormously proud that more than 300 of our friends and supporters are coming to our anniversary party and also donating so generously to the children’s hospital in Sierra Leone."