RESIDENTS from Wear Valley are being urged to have their say about how £8m is to be spent in the area.

The hopes and aspirations for the future of Wear Valley will be revealed for the first time at a community conference at Bishop Auckland College next month.

Wear Valley Community Network, the organiser, is hoping as many people as possible will turn up at the event to have their say on how the goals laid down in the Wear Valley Community Plan can be achieved.

About £8m has been allocated for the area over the next two years through the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Funding and the money will be spent on providing a more stable future.

The Community Plan has been put together by the Wear Valley Local Strategic Partnership which is made up of a range of service providers including health services, district council, police, county council and the fire service as well as representatives from local community groups.

Chairman of the partnership Joe Buckham said: "This community plan looks at the problems faced in Wear Valley now and sets out the steps that we believe will overcome them.

"The task of developing more detailed action plans to support this work will take place once we have consulted with the community and are sure that the issues in the plan are the right ones and that the goals that have been set are right for the community."

The conference at Bishop Auckland College on Saturday, November 19, from 10am to 1.15pm, is aimed at people of all ages and there will be a host of activities such as Caporeira, a Brazilian art, and chances to create music and learn circus skills.

Kirsty Hill, from Community and Volunteer Support Agency 2D and part of the organisation team, said: "We want young people as well as older people to come along and have their say. I am sure there are a lot of people out there of all ages who have an opinion but are not sure where to go. This is the chance they are waiting for."

For more information, contact 2D on (01388) 762220.