AFTER a difficult year of restructuring, 50plus Age Concern in Darlington has appointed two members of staff to take it forward.

Gulbag Singh has been recruited as an information and advice caseworker.

John Lowes has taken on the responsibility of promotions and sales of Age Concern Insurance Services.

Mr Singh will work towards expanding the charity's advice services in a bid to make them more accessible to older people. His position is funded by The Big Lottery until December 2007.

He will also help to establish a team of volunteers who can deliver information to people at their homes and from information points in the town centre.

Mr Lowes will play a specific role in the development of the business through targeted marketing and the delivery of outreach surgeries at community-based locations around the town.

The charity went through a period of reorganisation and made a handful of redundancies earlier in the year.

It then relaunched itself with a new name and new logo.

Andrea Hewitt, 50plus Age Concern's information services officer, said: "These two new appointments are very good news and are an indication that 50plus Age Concern is moving forward in the town, having endured a difficult period."