RESIDENTS are being urged to put forward their ideas for spending £3.8m to improve their community.

The cash is available to Wear Valley and Weardale, which is considered one of the country's most deprived areas, over the next two and a half years, through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund scheme.

Business people, voluntary workers and community groups have joined forces to launch a Local Strategic Partnership.

The group is part of a Government initiative which aims to give a voice to everyone interested in how the area should develop.

The partnership will act as an umbrella organisation and forum, to ensure that the money is spent on long-term projects which tackle five basic targets.

These are: health, crime and fear of crime, unemployment, education and housing and the environment.

So far, three areas - Weardale; Crook, Willington and Tow Law; and Bishop Auckland - each have two community representatives and a district councillor involved in the partnership.

Sub groups have been formed to look at each of the five targets.

They will work with groups including police, Durham Dales Primary Care Trust, Durham Rural Community Council and colleges, to ensure that services provided are what the public want and need.

David Craggs is co-ordinator of Wear Valley Community Network, a group formed last year to oversee the formation of a partnership and encourage the public, private and voluntary sectors to work together.

Mr Craggs said: "Issues the group will discuss could include how to reduce teenage pregnancy and encourage more people into education and training, especially young men.

"The whole idea is that the Community Network encourages everyone to work together, and that this should influence mainstream services so they are specifically targeted towards this area's concerns and aspirations. To act as the voice of the community, people need to start getting involved, sharing thoughts with the likes of residents' associations and councillors."

In an effort to raise the scheme's profile and boost membership, a competition to design a logo will be held in schools.

There are also plans to hold a community conference in December.

Anyone interested in taking part, as a group or individual, can call David Craggs or Ann Cairns, on (01388) 7622220.