A SERVICE which supports rural residents with "everything from paperwork to poo bags" is preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Staff at The Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (UTASS), which is based in Middleton-in-Teesdale, are set to host several celebration events throughout 2018 to mark the milestone, and are currently appealing for sponsors.

The service was launched by a small group of residents led by Teresa Raine in a bid to tackle specific community issues.

And with the support from the Durham Rural Community Council, it became official in 1993 and has gone from strength to strength, now helping those as far as Bishop Auckland and Weardale too.

Events and activities will include the launch of blank greetings cards in January to a celebration of volunteers in June, to coincide with National Volunteering Week.

UTASS project manager, Diane Spark, said the "holistic" service has changed considerably since she joined in 1996 but helps with more than 37,000 issues every year from demystifying complicated EU forms for farmers to providing dog walkers with poo bags and everything in between.

For more information visit utass.org or call 01833-641010.