A FULL day of events and activities is being held to mark the successful regeneration of a Darlington estate.

The celebration to showcase the work of the Skerne Park Partnership will take place at various venues on the estate tomorrow.

Highlights of the day will include the openings of the UK Online Centre, by Health Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn, and the launch of Skerne Park Toy Library and the Skerne Park Tool Library.

Other events include a Skerne Park Football Club game, a performance by the Skerne Park Drumming Project and, for the children, a visit by Charlie the Magician.

Set up in 1995, the partnership was created to work with residents and organisations with an interest in the area.

Aims included improving the quality of life on the estate and tackling issues including high levels of crime, debt, unemployment, poor educational achievement and high levels of empty housing.

The partnership made a successful bid for £3.5m of funding from the Single Regeneration Budget, to deliver a programme of regeneration projects on Skerne Park over five years, from 1997 to this year.

With additional funding from public, private and voluntary sectors, a total of £10.5m has been made available to Skerne Park over the past five years, to deliver the regeneration programme and provide opportunities for residents helping them to make their area a better place to live.

Many positive results have been achieved, the most visible of which has been the improvements to council properties on the estate.

As part of the initiative, 248 houses have been refurbished, and the average number of council houses standing empty has reduced from 20 a month to none.

Talking about the success, Darlington Borough Council leader John Williams said: "The members of the Skerne Park Partnership are a working and a shining example of what can be achieved when people work together to achieve shared objectives.

"The success of the partnership is apparent in the many new projects happening on the estate. In addition, Skerne Park has become one of the council's most popular housing areas.