A NEW project is encouraging villages in County Durham to keep their heritage alive.

The Community Heritage Project aims to build and develop links between Durham County Council and local people and groups interested in the region's past by working with museums, libraries and archives.

The three-year venture, which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will also help to make local collections more accessible.

It will include a programme of community exhibitions, workshops in the care of collections, interpretation and oral history and a community heritage newsletter and website.

It also plans to establish catalogues of collections through training, heritage trails and to give advice on how to source funding for individual projects.

"There isn't a definitive list of activities and, indeed, flexibility is a key element to allow reaction to the changing needs of communities involved," said Patrick Conway, the county council's director of cultural services. The project would build and develop links between cultural service in partnership with Beamish Museum, and the many people and groups interested in the county's heritage.

He predicted the venture would reach into communities and make local venues a focus for exhibitions, workshops and other heritage activities.

"The aim is to encourage a greater awareness of the past, inspire and, fundamentally, be fun for all involved," he said.