A THEATRE group is launching a community enterprise using its collection of props and costumes.

Arts and theatre company Jack Drum Art has secured funding from Wear Valley Development Agency to set up the business.

It will hire costumes, props and specialist equipment for use in schools, community groups and for individuals throughout the region.

The company, called Jack in the Box, has received £14,000 in funding. It will be based in the Wolffcraft Centre, New Road, Crook.

The funding will enable manager Suzy Galbraith, who has worked as a volunteer for Jack Drum for several years, to prepare the business to start trading in September.

Jack Drum director Jill Cole said: "This is a really exciting venture for us. It has been a bit of a pipe dream for many years.

"We felt that all of the unusual costumes and other equipment we have gathered over the years could be of real value to people in the area."

With the support of Business Link County Durham, the project began with a comprehensive survey of schools and community groups to find out who might make a use of such a facility.

Mrs Cole said: "The response was overwhelming. It proved that there are a lot of people around who could make use of our rather strange collection."

The company will be spending the next three months cataloguing and sorting all of the costumes and preparing a marketing plan.

When the business opens in September, it will be mainly via direct mail and the Internet, but the premises will be open one day a week to enable the public to visit.