DARLINGTON Rotary Club president Ken Wiper opened the group's most recent meeting by announcing the appointments of several committee members.

Steve Rose as junior vice president, Bill Harrison as secretary, Tom Nutt as assistant secretary, Fred Johnson as treasurer and John Ellis as assistant treasurer.

The speaker was Steve Robson, chief executive of South Durham Enterprise.

His responsibilities are for the area of South Durham running from the Cumbrian Border down Weardale and Teesdale to Sedgefield where they try to address the needs of many different forms of business.

Changes are regularly taking place in business development and there is a real energy and momentum at the present time as entrepreneurs are looking to seize the opportunities of an improved economy.

The agency has commercial property at Bishop Auckland which they lease to new businesses giving an opportunity which may otherwise have been difficult to find.

Rotary host Sue Campbell thanked Mr Robson for the enthusiastic and committed way he runs the organisations, and for his presentation.