YEAR ten pupils from Darlington School of Mathematics and Science heard from local businesses as part of a programme to introduce employability skills.

The Esh Employability programme, delivered since September 2013 at the school by Esh Group aims to give young people a broad introduction to the skills they need for the world of work as well as exploring different business sectors and job roles.

The programme is being supported by Darlington Cares, which arranged for representatives from two of its members to speak to the pupils.

OPEN EVENT: Darlington’s Citizen’s Advice Bureau is holding a volunteer open morning on Friday, April 4, from 10am to noon. The charity has about 70 volunteers, who collectively donate more than 550 hours per week. More are needed. The event takes place in the charity’s headquarters, in Horsemarket.

CHOIR SINGS: Residents of Sir E.D.Walker Homes almshouses enjoyed a tea provided and served by the trustees, and were entertained by Locomotion Choir on March 20. This was the sixth time the boys’ choir had sung at the annual event, and it has already been booked for next years.

MUSEUM SHOW: Freepass, a textile exhibition by artist Catherine Howard, runs at the Head of Steam railway museum, in Darlington, from April 8 until July 27. The exhibition explores railway heritage and journeys travelled on the railways from Darlington to countryside destinations around Great Britain. A retrospective of Catherine’s work over ten years the exhibition remembers the artist’s father whose first job was at North Road Works, where he worked as a fitter. As a railwayman he and his family were entitled to ‘free passes’ which allowed them to travel all over the country.