A NEWTON Aycliffe care centre will be offering a series of courses in the New Year.

The Pioneering Care Centre has a programme designed for people who want to learn in the community.

From January, courses in family history, holistic therapies - level 2, deaf awareness, map reading, beginners' Spanish and painting and drawing will be available.

There will also be several accredited computer courses in the centre's fully accessible training room, including: OCN Clait level 1, European computer driving licence, OCN Web Page Creation, and C&G Desk Top Publishing. Learndirect courses from beginner to advanced are available throughout the year.

Gill Macnab, events and participation worker for the Pioneering Care Partnership, said: "The start of a New Year is a great time to begin learning, while having fun and meeting other local people with similar interests.

"At the Pioneering Care Partnership we support life- long learning and our facilities are accessible by all."

Places are limited for each course, so early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. For details or to book any of the courses, contact Gill Macnab for non-IT courses or Amanda Iceton for IT courses on (01325) 321234, fax (01325) 301129 or minicom (01325) 313133. The centre, at Cobbler's Hall, off Burn Lane, is on bus routes: 4, 4a, 4b, 13, 13a, 91, 91a, 92 and 93.