A BUILDING society has stepped in to ensure that a Darlington badminton team’s dream of another foreign tour will become a reality.

Darlington Building Society has agreed to sponsor Hummersknott Badminton Club in their quest to promote international friendship through youth sport.

The club has already visited 18 different countries and this year plans to visit Holland, Belgium, Germany and France followed by a trip to Italy in July.

The team hopes to play two matches in Bracciano, to the North West of Rome, and cement town friendship links being forged between Darlington and Bracciano.

Their emphasis on promoting camaraderie across the borders has also won the support of Richmond MP and Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has arranged to meet some of the players over the next few weeks.

Ellie Durham, customer sales assistant based at Darlington Building Society's Cockerton branch, said they were delighted to be able to make a contribution towards one of the team’s foreign tours.

She added: “Darlington Building Society is very proud to support the communities it works in and we are also proud to lend a hand to others who are flying the flag for the area in such a positive way.”

Team captain, James Boyd said: “Hummersknott Badminton Club uses the power of sport to build bridges between different countries and cultures and also to raise awareness of our own region.”