MEMBERS OF the Durham and Cleveland Art Fund had much to celebrate at their annual lecture and lunch at Headlam Hall, near Gainford.

The branch raised £10,500 in 2015, the first time the annual total had topped £10,000.

Lesley Taylor, chairman, thanked everyone whose efforts had made it possible and members in particular for their support of events organised by the committee.

In the past five years, the Fund nationally has distributed more than £26m towards the public acquisition of more than 1,000 works of art for everyone to enjoy. In addition, it provides support for curators to undertake specialist research and training.

This region has frequently benefited from the Fund's largesse, most recently attracting a grant of £337,348 towards the cost of purchasing a Crucifixion by El Greco for Auckland Castle, and the Bowes Museum, curator Hannah Jackson received a New Collecting Award of £60,000 to enable her to build a collection of French haute couture reflecting the tastes and lifestyle of Josephine Bowes.

The Art Fund's programme of lectures and visits includes a lecture on March 11 at the Bowes Museum by Martin Clayton, keeper of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection, on the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci to coincide with the exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.

For full details of the programme, go to artfund.org, click on What to see and select Northern England then Events. Non-members are welcome at events.