A CENTRE that has helped create more than 5,000 jobs in the North-East is celebrating its tenth birthday this week.

The landmark will be celebrated by the Quayside Business Development Centre on Friday at the Ouseburn Building, in Newcastle.

The Grade II-listed building was a school for 100 years until Newcastle City Council converted it for use as a business development centre in 1993.

The centre is now a well-established location for start-up businesses.

It can accommodate up to 50 small businesses at any one time. More than 170 businesses have been given advice, creating more than 5,000 jobs.

Councillor Danny Marshall, cabinet member for economic development at Newcastle City Council, said: "This centre has proved a popular and successful way of starting small enterprises in Newcastle.

"It is a very important part of Newcastle City Council's economic development strategy."

He was backed by the cabinet member for electronic government and modernisation, Councillor David Wood, who was one of the first tenants in 1993.

He said: "I have great affection for this place. It helped me greatly in the early days of my business, and without the facilities on offer, it would have been more difficult than it was getting the business off the ground.

"This centre, along with others, has proved a popular way of accommodating small to medium-sized enterprises. The council is building upon the success by developing a brand new incubator in the city centre, which will open next January."

To celebrate, the centre is inviting anyone with connections to the building to a birthday party between 12.30pm and 4pm on Friday. This includes former pupils, tenants, employees, support agencies and suppliers.