A scheme to spread the scope of education has been given a boost which will allow it to be launched in two months' time.

The Ripon City Partnership has approved spending more than £241,000 on a "virtual college" for the city.

The funds, from the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), will be used to lever in grants and funds from other sources towards the total cost of more than £724,000.

The idea has been developed by Ripon College as part of its community education programme and will allow people to access learning and training at a much wider variety of sites than previously possible.

It is called a virtual college to differentiate it from traditional community or adult education, which is usually delivered from established sites.

It will offer training at eight new sites across the city and also, via laptop computers, in surrounding villages including Kirkby Malzeard, Melmerby, Ainderby Quernhow, Sharrow, Littlethorpe and Burton Leonard.

Other villages will be added to the list as they register an interest at Ripon College. Training will focus heavily on basic skills and information technology skills but other courses will also be on offer.

SRB officer Miranda Winram said: "The aim of the virtual college is to make it easier for people to take up learning or training courses.

"By delivering the training in a variety of locations we hope that those who have previously been put off learning new skills because of the cost of effort involved will find it easy to take part when courses are delivered on their doorstep or when they can pop in to use the computers in their spare moments."