A COMMUNITY group has won recognition for its work to help leaders of voluntary organisations.

Fergus Arkley, business and development manager for Teesdale Village Halls Consortium, was presented with two awards at a ceremony in Rugby, for delivery of net:gain, a programme to help leaders of voluntary and community organisations look at how IT can help them.

The consortium won the outstanding delegate support award and came second in the category of most successful net:gain centre based on delegate sales.

More than 40 voluntary and community groups throughout the North-East are members of the net:gain programme and one of these organisations, Jack Drum Arts, was the winner of the best delegate case study award.

Mr Arkley said: "As a result of the net:gain programme, Jack Drum Arts is trialling a web-based online diary, has managed to save up to three hours of the office manager's time each week and is now giving a more efficient service to customers."