A LEADING union figure is to help promote adult literacy and numeracy in the region as part of a skills campaign.

Kevin Rowan, regional secretary of the Northern Trades Union Congress (TUC), has joined the Get On North East campaign as a skills for life champion to help raise awareness of lack of skills in the region.

The position marks a commitment to promote adult literacy and numeracy in the workplace and the community as part of the £50m initiative.

The campaign is improving skills among the estimated 400,000 adults in the North-East who have difficulty with reading and with basic maths, benefiting individuals and businesses