A CARERS' centre has been boosted by a donation which will help fund training sessions for volunteers.

The Princess Royal Trust Sedgefield Locality Carers' Centre, based in Newton Aycliffe, has received £2,500 from Barclays Bank.

Pauline Irvin, personal banker at the bank's Aycliffe branch, dropped into the centre this week to see how the money is being spent and attended a moving and handling course.

Volunteer co-ordinator Christine Laskey said: "This course is for volunteers or carers to learn about how to move people correctly without injuring themselves. It's useful for people looking after somebody who's wheelchair bound."

She said the grant would help the centre run other similar courses and follow-up training for volunteers.

She added: "Donations like this are very important because we rely on funding to keep going."

The centre, which caters for carers throughout Sedgefield borough, is taking part in National Volunteers Week.

It is holding a coffee morning tomorrow (Friday) from 10am to noon at the Pioneering Care Centre, off Burn Lane in Newton Aycliffe.