FOUR Japanese academics visited offices in Darlington yesterday, to find out about social enterprises in this country.
The quartet, from the Graduate School of Tohoku University, in Yamagata, Japan, are on a week-long visit of voluntary organisations.
They were at the Darlington Citizens Advice Bureau (Cab), in Horsemarket, Darlington, yesterday.
The visit coincided with the bureau's money advice day, when hundreds of Darlington residents visited the office.
The group were headed by Professor Tomoaki Shibukawa, who was joined by students Tomohito Nakajima, Tokihiko Takatani and Takahiro Aoki.
They were learning about how social enterprises and voluntary groups work in England to take back to Japan.
Mike Hill, the bureau manager, said: "Professor Shibukawa and his team could not have chosen a better organisation.
"I expect them to find a building full of clients and they will see how a Cab operates, using volunteers to form the bedrock of a professional service."
Darlington Cab can be found in Bennet House.
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