A FREE service offering advice about how to use a range of devices to search the internet is being launched.

Online Owls will help people in Chester-le-Street district to use computers, tablets or mobile phones to get online, search for jobs and use social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

The service will be launched by trained volunteers in the town’s Market Place from 9am to 3pm on Friday (December 6).

The project received £9,500 from the Big Lottery Fund and is supported by Cestria Community Housing, The Durham County Cricket Foundation, Sunderland AFC’s Foundation of Light, the Chester-le-Street and District Area Action Partnership, Go ON UK and Chester-le-Street Volunteer Centre.

Gail Pattison, support services manager at Cestria Community Housing, said: “Online Owls is one of the first initiatives to be launched in this area offering free advice and information to local residents.

“The project is supported by a number of key partners and will help people to get online and make full use of IT equipment such as computers and tablet devices.

“The service is available to all people of all ages and has been launched at this time of year in the lead up to Christmas, when lots of people will receive tablets and phones as presents, but may not know how to use them.

“Online Owls will help people to get online, search for jobs, do online shopping and a whole host of other activities that the internet allows you to do.”

Mark Pae, area manager for the Foundation of Light, said: “The foundation is delighted to part of this initiative and we are providing our active bus, which is sponsored by Arriva, for people to come and speak to us and carry out free fitness checks.

“We are looking forward to working with all partners involved in Online Owls and meeting lots of residents across the Chester-le-Street District in the New Year.”

For more information on Online Owls call 0191- 385 1436 or e-mail onlineowls@cestria.org