PEOPLE have joined forces with their local primary school to provide a computer suite for the community.

Members of Sunnybrow Residents' Association, near Crook, took advantage of new opportunities when they found out that Sunnybrow Primary School was replacing its computers.

The chairman of the association, Rick Kelly, said: "The school was told that they either had to recycle or skip their old computers.

"When I heard this I went straight to the headteacher to see if we could have them to use for the community centre.''

Mr Kelly was referred to Durham County Council, which is the local education authority, and an inspection of the community centre was carried out.

He said: "The council needed to know whether we had the facilities to be able to house the computers.

"They came and had a look around the community centre, measured up and decided straight away to give us five computers."

The association hopes to set up homework clubs at the centre on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 4pm to 8pm, to help youngsters living in the village who do not have computers.

There are also plans to encourage adults from the local community to visit the centre and learn how to use the computers on Wednesday mornings.

Although the computers were free, the association had to pay £75 to have telephone lines put in for computers to be linked to the Internet.

Mr Kelly said: "Our funds were a little low, so we had to ask the community for help. We went around with collection buckets and everybody gave what they could. It was fantastic.

"This is not just for the kids. We want the adults to be able to come in and use them."

Durham County Council's cultural services department has offered help to the association through Community Pathfinders.

Vivienne Dryden, Community Pathfinders project worker, said that Pathfinders would teach volunteers how to deliver basic computer courses and take care of maintenance.

She said: "I think it is a fantastic opportunity that Rick and the association are providing to the residents, and we will be there to help when and where we can.