A HEALTH authority is about to benefit from a successful £20m County Durham Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) bid.

County Durham and Darlington Health Authority is due to receive £350,000 over five years, from round six of the SRB funding, which forms part of a huge investment in the North-East.

Additional earmarked funding will increase the investment to more than £800,000.

It will be used to fund an innovative project to provide training, education and employment opportunities for users of mental health services and their carers.

The aims of the project are to promote the participation of mental health service users and carers in decisions that affect their lives.

It also aims to increase the number of education and training opportunities, and therefore, employment opportunities for mental health service users.

The project also aims to provide support to disaffected and socially isolated adults who have experienced mental health problems.

The funding will be used to employ two development workers and for administrative support.

It will also be used to train users and carers as trainers, to develop other educational programmes, and to provide a number of laptop computers.

These will be lent to participants in the programme for distance learning purposes and to develop IT skills, particularly to those people unable to leave their own homes due to mental health problems.

Andrew Young, director of planning at County Durham and Darlington Health Authority, said: "The health authority will work in partnership with the Workers' Educational Association over the next five years of the project, and during its lifetime it will enhance the employment prospects of a significant and marginalised group.

"It will also have a positive impact upon the mental health of the target population."

The areas covered by the County Durham and Darlington Health Authority include Consett, Stanley, Chester-le-Street, Peterlee, Easington, Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Stanhope, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle.