A ROUND-THE-CLOCK football challenge has bought extra time for a confidential support service for young people.

At the turn of the year, the free text helpline ASK faced an uncertain future when three years of Big Lottery funding came to an end.

Cornforth Partnership, which runs the service for 14 to 25 year-olds across County Durham, launched an appeal and hopes to have secured funds to keep going for six months.

A big chunk of the cash came from a 24-hour football marathon at Ferryhill Hub earlier this month.

A group of 24 men from the West Cornforth area took part and raised £3,000 which was split between ASK and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The £1,500 donated to ASK will pay for its out-of-hours service for three months and bosses are confident of receiving a grant soon to run at full strength until summer.

Event organiser Mitchell Stokes said: “As a group of friends we have been affected by cancer, we lost a very close friend and one of the players lost their dad.

“The support Marie Curie gives patients and families in such difficult times is amazing and we wanted to help them continue to do so.

“We also chose ASK because the helpline helps so many vulnerable young people and is a much needed service.

“The amount raised shows how much both charities mean to people.”

Last year the helpline handled around 1,200 text messages about issues from relationships to drugs and alcohol and saw an alarming rise in young people considering self harm.

Project coordinator Tony Cutmore, one of the trained youth workers who man the helpline and who also took part, thanked supporters.

To make a donation visit the website localgiving.com/askhelpline or call 01740-652000.

To contact the helpline text ASK and your question to 80800, Monday to Friday 10am to 9pm and Sundays 3pm to 5pm.