TWO groups dedicated to raising awareness of lung disease joined forces to help a North-East hospital.

Neighbouring British Lung Foundation support groups Breathe Easy Darlington and Breathe Easy Durham Dales worked together to raise £580 for Darlington Hospital’s respiratory ward.

The ward was recently redecorated but needed its notice boards and leaflet racks updating which is where the Breathe Easy groups stepped in.

By organising a variety of charity events and raffles, the groups raised enough money to replenish the ward’s stocks.

Darlington Breathe Easy is now looking forward to carrying out more community work after being awarded £3,000 last month by the Lloyds Community Fund.

It won the money after coming second in a vote by the bank’s local customers and it will be spent on events to raise awareness of lung diseases and help sufferers learn ways of looking after themselves and remain mobile.

Breathe Easy Darlington has also moved to a new venue at the Friends Meeting House on Skinnergate and its first meeting of 2014 will take place on January 15 at 1.30pm, followed by meetings every third Wednesday of the month.

Breathe Easy Durham Dales meets every first Thursday of the month at 2pm at the Methodist Church Hall on Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland.

The next meeting is on Thursday, February 6, at 2pm at the Methodist Church Hall on Cockton Hill Road in Bishop Auckland.