GOODWILL engendered by the onset of the Millennium is to have a knock-on effect in former industrial areas of the North-East.

A cheque for £684,780 was yesterday delivered with the aim of supporting projects to aid regeneration of ex-coalfield areas of County Durham.

Margaret Hulme, of the Millennium Commission, in London, ventured to Horden, a former colliery village on the Durham coast, to make the presentation.

Easington MP John Cummings and Gillian Stacey, director of the County Durham Foundation, were on hand to accept the cheque and congratulate some of the first recipients.

The foundation will administer the windfall, made under the Coalfields Community Spirit Millennium Awards scheme, backed by the National Lottery.

It will give recognition and meet training costs for up to 140 individuals, all playing a part in regenerating their part of County Durham.

A total of 62 council wards in the districts of Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, Durham city, Easington and Sedgefield, will benefit from the money.

Some of the recipients attended the presentation, at Horden Youth and Community Centre, including inspirational Jane Atkinson.

Despite being deafened overnight four years ago she was determined not to give in to isolation and depression and so learned to lip read.

Jane now runs a support group for the deafened and hard of hearing, at the centre, in Blackhills Road.

She is receiving £4,830 of the award to pay for training and mentoring to enable her to set up further support groups and an advocacy service for local people with acquired deafness.

Other winners were Ian Peele, of Durham, who, with project partner Richard Leckenby, plans to run caving expeditions for children, and Ann Smith, from Trimdon Station, who will develop healthy eating courses and a ceramics cooperative.

Further information on the Coalfields Community Spirit Millennium Awards and application packs are available on 0191-383 0055.