A £15,000 grant has enabled a group which promotes living skills for people with disabilities to employ a full-time support worker.

Trevor Todd, 40, started working for the Options Disability Initiative on a voluntary basis at the start of the year.

Mr Todd, from Spennymoor, took voluntary redundancy after 24 years in electrical engineering, with a view to a career change.

His son, Mark, has moderate learning disabilities, so he had previous experience in the field and had done voluntary work before.

He began as a volunteer with Options, at the Pioneering Care Centre, Newton Aycliffe, and was soon organising and running group activities, including using the climbing wall at the town's leisure centre.

Now, thanks to a £15,000 grant from the Northern Rock Foundation, Mr Todd has been taken on full-time.

He said: "When I took voluntary redundancy I was looking for a change of career. I wanted something I liked and something that would stretch me personally, rather than just doing a job for money.

"I didn't start off volunteering at Options thinking I would get a job there, but I just wanted to get some experience. Now I have found myself facing a new challenge and it is something that is very rewarding.

"I am actually able to help people and I get great feedback from them. It is giving me a sense of achievement I would not get in an ordinary job.

"I would urge other people to think about volunteering and just go for it."

The project is always looking to recruit volunteers.

Activities such as swimming, table-tennis and gym visits are organised for members, but more help is needed.

Anyone who would like to help can contact Graham Barker on (01325) 321234.