FORMER mining villages are celebrating an early Christmas present.

Dene Valley Community Partnership has been given a grant of almost £2,000 towards the salaries of three part-time staff.

The partnership, which supports former colliery settlements near Bishop Auckland, has been awarded £1,755 by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

The grant will be used to fund kitchen assistants in the partnership's cafe at the One- Stop Shop community resource, in Eldon Lane.

Centre manager Allyson Lowther said: "We are really pleased with this grant because it means we can employ people to run the community cafe, which supplements the other work we do.

"The One-Stop Shop offers training courses to give people new skills and confidence, career advice, a lending library and a social venue for people in an area facing isolation, deprivation and high unemployment."

Anna White, regeneration manager for the trust, said: "We encourage people to take a more active part in regenerating their local areas and this is reflected in the way grants are awarded."

The One-Stop Shop, in High Street, Eldon Lane, is open during term time from 7am to 4pm. The cafe is open from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm, and Friday, 9am to 2pm.