A scheme to encourage more people to take up voluntary work is to be officially launched in Newton Aycliffe.

The Sedgefield Borough Vol-unteer Bureau, funded by the National Lotteries Charities Board, opened its doors at several satellite offices in town and villages throughout the borough earlier this month.

Now Community and Volun-tary Organisations Sedgefield (Cavos) is hoping to raise the profile of the service with the official launch on Thursday, March 22, in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre.

It will open to the public from 10am to 4pm. Organisations registered with the volunteer bureau will be attending with information regarding their volunteering opportunities.

Bureau manager Graham Birdsall said: "There will be a wide range of volunteering opportunities on display at the leisure centre, so if there are any people thinking of volunteering, please call in and see us."

The bureau can be visited at the Cavos main office, in West Cornforth, but the service also has outreach offices at Sedgefield, Shildon, Spennymoor, Trimdon and Newton Aycliffe.

For more details about the launch, or volunteering opportunities, call Cavos (01740) 652000.