Durham County Council has received government recognition for its inclusive approach in recruiting and retaining staff with a disability or health condition. Awarded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the status of Level 3 Disability Confident Leader acknowledges the council’s commitment towards disabled staff and forward-thinking...

A leading government minister has called on global businesses to consider investing in County Durham. Jake Berry, Northern Powerhouse minister, praised the “passion and drive” of the area’s “highly-skilled workforce” and described the county as a “good place to invest” during a visit to the area. Mr Berry took a tour of family...

Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) staff and volunteers will be taste testing ‘Mocktails’ throughout January. The Mocktails will be rated and favourite recipes shared as part of the campaign for Dry January. As a health and wellbeing charity PCP encourages our staff to get involved in activities that raise awareness and supports...

A KFC drive thru is planned for a major new development in Newton Aycliffe. Plans for the £140m Forrest Park development on Aycliffe Business Park, close to the services just off the A1 (M), are due to progress in 2020 after the plans were given outline planning permission last summer. Since then, the proposals – which are on the Durham...

Residents in Great Aycliffe and Middridge can find out how local issues are being tackled when the local area action partnership holds their next board meeting. The Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership board will be meeting on Tuesday, January 28, between 6pm and 8pm at Oakleaf Sports Complex, and members of the public are invited to go...

Around 50 businesses gathered for Aycliffe Business Park Community’s first news and networking meeting of 2020. Scroll down to see our picture gallery The meeting, held at Hitachi Rail on the business park, was attended by the new Conservative MP for Sedgefield, Paul Howell. Guests also heard from The Fish Tank founders Paul and Penny...

Students Blake Charlton and Sonny Fielding have recently been successful in auditioning for a place at Newcastle College to study Performing Arts, once they leave at the end of Year 11. They will now have the opportunity to refine and develop their skills at a college which boasts an impressive £21m facility, including three different...

A South Stanley family has become the face of fostering in County Durham after agreeing to help raise awareness of the urgent need for more foster carers in the county. Jan and Brian Peel are foster carers for Durham County Council alongside their son and daughter-in-law, Simon and Clair Peel, and soon their faces will be helping the council...

News of potential job losses at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory has been met with sadness by the local authority. Hitachi confirmed it was starting a 45-day consultation, which could result in up to 250 members of its 850-strong workforce being made redundant. Hitachi Rail Europe has confirmed ‘re-sizing’ of factory – 250 jobs to...

By Donna Campbell This week has been very quiet for the members of ARC. As always we had many members supporting the local parkruns, despite the windy conditions, but there were no PB’s to record this week. We also had plenty of members out training with several groups undertaking different distances and routes. The only race in...